How To Keep New Year’s Resolutions

Resolutions rock, but they mean nothing if you don’t take action on them. Sure, we all dream of being richer, fitter, happier, healthier, more successful… But that’s all they are — dreams. Until, that is, we formulate a plan and then take action on it. So here’s how to keep New Year’s resolutions so you can feel smug and sicken your friends. ‘Cause isn’t that what it’s all about? 😛

If you want to rock your resolutions, you have to make them SMART. That is: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-restrained. Think of your goal more as a target — you have to know what it is before you can say you’ve hit it.

Is it specific?

We’ve all made a resolution to “get fit” at some point in our lives, but fitness means many different things to many different people. Fitness for you might be running a marathon; fitness for me is more like sprinting up a flight of stairs without needing a quick breathing break at the top.

Get crystal clear on what you want. What does “fitness” mean to you, or “health”, or whatever your goal is? Is it bulging biceps, a flexible spine, a vegan diet? Is it a 10% increase in sales, an extra day’s holiday a year, or a new job?

Is it measurable?

If your goal is to increase sales, how are you going to measure that? When will you know you’ve met your goal? You need to have a certain amount in mind, or a certain percentage.

And how do you measure something like fitness? If you’ve been specific enough, this shouldn’t be too hard, but it needs to be something tangible like swimming 50 laps of the pool, or bench pressing a certain weight, or running a certain distance.

It can also help to have software or tools to track your progress, if needed (fitness tracker, pedometer, Google Analytics, good old fashioned pen and paper, etc.).

It’s easy to be blind to the tiny changes that happen every day, so you may not even notice the progress you’re making. Measuring makes you more mindful of it.

Is is achievable?

Because if it isn’t, what’s the point? I’m not saying you shouldn’t challenge yourself a bit, but running a marathon when you’re a crippling asthmatic or a chronic couch potato is probably aiming a little too high. Start off by setting your sights a little lower than your initial aspiration. You can always build on success, but it can be hard to bounce back from failure.

It should be achievable, not insurmountable.

It's easy to build on success, but it can be hard to bounce back from failure. Start small. Share on X

Is it realistic?

You may buy a ticket every week, but your chances of winning the lottery are slimmer than increasing your sales through hard work and hustle.

And remember to take everything into account. Running a marathon is fine and dandy, but you’re going to need good running gear (which can be costly) and a good training plan (which can be very time-consuming). Most goals worth aiming for come with some sacrifice (usually involving time, money, and a few sleepless nights). Goals are great, but get real.

Is it time-restrained?

Have you heard the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it”? The thinking behind it is that people who don’t have pressing deadlines are much more likely to procrastinate because they feel they have all the time in the world. If it doesn’t have a deadline, you’ll be striving for all eternity.

Make sure it’s not so close that you feel like a failure before you’ve begun, or so far that it may as well not exist at all. And think plural — one big deadline can be daunting, so try setting up smaller deadlines along the way. Mini milestones, if you will. Then smile smugly as you sail on by.

Let’s take a real-world example:

Your goal may be to become healthy. A noble aspiration. But let’s put it through the SMART wringer and see what comes out the other side, shall we?

How about you start off by saying you want to eat one extra serving of veg at least 3 days a week, and that you’ll do that consistently for a month? Now you’re getting somewhere. That’s very specific, it’s measurable (a certain amount for a certain number of times a week), it’s definitely achievable and realistic, and it’s got a deadline (and little markers along the way).

Once that’s done, you can say you’re going to drink one extra glass of water each day at least 3 days a week for the next month. Then you’re going to go for a 30 minute walk 3 times a week for the following month.

Before you know it, by the end of the year, you’re eating healthier foods and you’re getting some regular exercise. And BAM, there’s your “get healthy” dream realised. But you get there one SMART goal at a time.

So think of your dreams and goals as targets — know exactly what they are, where they are, and when you’ll need to hit them. Otherwise you’re just shooting arrows in the dark and pissing into the wind.

If you really wanna keep New Year’s resolutions, you have to think SMART.

And because it’s the holiday season, and because I’m so lovely, here’s a handy dandy worksheet you can print out and fill in to keep you on track: Keep New Year’s Resolutions worksheet

(It looks like this:)

It’s A4 in size but you could probably print it 2 to a page and chop in half if you prefer A5. And if you want to re-use it but don’t want to print more (‘cause, like me, you love trees… and hate the price of printer ink), you could laminate it or pop it in a photo frame with a glass front, and then use a dry-erase marker on it.

Don’t say I never do anything for ya. 😛

And why not ‘like’ the Facebook page so you can stay on track all through 2016 with top tips and regular inspiration to keep you motivated towards rocking your resolutions? Your 2017 self will thank you. 😉