New year, new you. The beginning of the new year marks the season of making changes and setting resolutions for the next twelve months. Many of these resolutions vary from losing weight, being more organized, traveling or even learning how to cook. Although these are great goals, they can sometimes be unachievable if you go about it the wrong way. This is how to set achievable resolutions:

 

Baby Steps

One of the most popular resolutions is losing weight and it’s the hardest one to stick to. The best way to conquer resolutions like losing weight is to start off small. Make one of your first goals to join a gym and begin exercising three times a week instead of going every single day. By starting off with baby steps, it will be easier to stick with. If your resolution is travel more, start by setting up a savings account for the trip before actually booking it. These small steps can lead to you reaching your ultimate resolution.

 

Share Your Goals

A great way to hold yourself accountable for your resolution is by letting your friends and family know about it. With people rooting for you, you will have more motivation to keep going. By sharing your resolutions with them, you may find they have the same goals in mind. This way you can both hold each other accountable and keep each other on track. You may also be able to join a group to reach your goals, like a workout class at the gym or book club to get you reading more. Having someone or a group of people to share your goals and struggle with can make your resolution much more attainable and even fun.

 

Take it Easy

It’s important to not let your resolution consume your life. When you hold yourself too accountable, you can easily begin to feel overwhelmed. Once you hit a minor bump in the road, it can be easy to be too hard on yourself and give up before ever really getting started. You must keep in mind that it is impossible to perfect. If you have a slip like missing a workout, forgetting to clean up a mess, or spending some of your vacation funds, don’t give up. It’s important to keep going towards your goals even if you mess up a little.

 

Set Meaningful Resolutions

When setting goals for the new year, people often miss what their resolutions mean to them. They’ll simply set resolutions that sound good enough, but don’t have actual meaning to them. When a resolution is meaningful to you, you are more inclined to achieve it. Think about how you can better your mind, body, and soul. If your resolution is to quit smoking, think about what that might mean to your family and friends or how it would better your life. Goals should be challenging and offer the opportunity for self-growth.

 

Setting achievable resolutions for the new year is possible with time and dedication. Take the time to think about what your resolution means to you and how to about achieving them. This will be the difference between you and those who were not able to achieve their goals. Which side do you want to be on?