How to make your New Year’s resolutions stick

How to make your New Year’s resolutions stick

New year, new you. A change in the calendar usually inspires a change in lifestyle. Or, that’s the goal, anyway. Coming up with resolutions for the new year can be tough and sticking to them can be even tougher.

Now that we’re a couple of months in, a lot of people have found themselves falling off the wagon — but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around. Here are a few tips and tricks to make 2019 your best year yet.

Be realistic and pick the right resolution

If you set a goal that’s doable and meaningful, you’ll have a better shot at success. Many resolutions fail because they’re not the right ones. They could be created based on what society or someone is telling you to change. Or, maybe there is no realistic plan for achieving the solution. It’s possible your resolution was too vague. Goals should be specific, measurable and achievable.

Plan ahead

Create a consistent plan on how to achieve your goals and track your progress as you’re doing it. Self-monitoring will help increase your chance of success. Also, plan for roadblocks you may come across and how you’ll tackle them. For example, if you’re trying to end a bad habit, try breaking it down and figure out why you have the habit, and then come up with a way to change the behavior.

Reward yourself

You should always try to reinforce progress when you hit certain milestones. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, you could treat yourself to a healthy snack for every 5 pounds you lose, or maybe a mani-pedi for every 15 pounds you drop.

Get support

Unfortunately, friends, coworkers and family can be big triggers for bad habits. If there are people that also share your bad habit, ask them to make the resolution with you; sometimes, it’s easier to change together. You can also practice saying “no” in situations where temptations may come up and announce your resolution publicly. Those who declare their resolutions are more successful than those who don’t, and it’s another way to be held more accountable.