Whether your New Year’s celebrations included double-fisting multiple flutes of champagne at a celebratory party or enjoying a two-person party including you and your dog, the question of resolutions comes into play. But the truth is, the lifespan of most New Year’s resolutions putters out before the first week’s end of January.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population fails to keep their resolutions. By mid-January even the most disciplined individuals are hanging on by tooth and nail trying to keep their own.
So if you’re close to striking out, don’t call it quits just yet. Re-channel some inspiration with these six tips:
- Readjust your expectations: Shooting for the moon is admirable, but it might also be the doom of your New Year’s resolutions. Staying grounded and setting goals that are measurable and realistic. Losing weight is a common resolution, but losing 20 pounds within the month after a four week holiday binge might not be so realistic. losing 20 pounds by the end of this year, however, is more likely to succeed.
- Regroup: Once you resume your busy schedule, it’s easy to forget about those resolutions. The less you are reminded of them, the more likely you are to forget. So write it down and put it somewhere you’ll see it every day. Write it on a Post-It, publish it on your Instagram, tattoo it on your arm; whatever works for you.
- Plan it out: Don’t brag on social media unless you’re willing to follow through. It’s easy to come up with a list of resolutions, but it’s a challenge to come up with a plan to follow through on them. Organize yourself and set time aside to make it happen. Investing in a weekly planner is a great way to make and keep track of a schedule.
- Track yourself: Chart your progress on your resolutions. Odds are the bad habits you’re trying to change took years to develop, so correcting them will take time. Track every small accomplishment for a comparison of how far you’ve come. Every achievement brings you one step closer towards your overall goal.
- Reward yourself: Don’t be a masochist about it. Celebrate small milestones to remind yourself of the purpose behind your commitment. Those small rewards will be a great motivator to get you through your toughest days.
- Keep trying: Life happens, so don’t beat yourself up for the occasional slip. When you feel as if you’re running out of steam, re-commit. The beauty of those 2016 resolutions is the fact that they are exactly that, a yearly goal.
The beginning of any new year seems to spotlight the population in its finest moment. Although it is a nice view to watch, it’s a mirage that tends to fade as the weeks pass. But perhaps you’re tired of flaking out on those resolutions. So this new year, one-up your friends and their failed resolutions by sticking to your own.