I love to set goals, especially around this time when the New Year is just around the corner. I bet we all love to have a fantastic new year, and that is why most people have New Year’s resolutions, but the problem is that most people fail to achieve what they have resolved to do in the New Year.
You see, a lot of people make New Year’s resolutions and set goals to achieve something better in life in the following year. The only problem? They don’t stick to their resolutions and before the next year end, they have completely given up on their resolutions.
In this guide, I’m going to share with you 10 great ways on how and what you can do to achieve your New Year’s resolutions.
But before that, I would like to let you know that there are amazing resources you should check out about setting and achieving New Year’s resolutions:
- Ultimate Guide to Setting and Achieving New Year Resolutions
- How to Make New Year Resolutions? Follow These 7 Easy Steps
- Top 20 New Year Resolution Ideas You Should Consider
Now, if you are serious and are 100% committed to making a positive change and want to achieve your resolutions, follow these 10 pieces of advice below…
1. Be Realistic with What You Want
First, be realistic with what you want. A lot of people overestimated themselves. They want to become a millionaire within a year.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that making a million dollars a year is impossible to achieve, but you have to take your circumstances and resources into consideration.
If you are broke, in debt, and are working 9 to 5 earning $3,000 a month, becoming a millionaire within a year may be a little unrealistic to you.
You have to understand that success starts small. It is not to say that you can’t achieve big goals or big New Year’s resolutions, but when you set something that is unrealistic to your current ability, you are only setting yourself up to fail.
One of the main reasons people fail to stick to their resolutions is that they lack the motivation to do it. And the reason they lack motivation is that they fail to produce the results they want.
When they don’t see themselves producing significant success, they started to doubt themselves and as a result, they lose interest in their resolutions.
This is why you should start with smaller and more reasonable goals.
Hence, if you want to achieve your New Year’s resolutions, start small. Build confidence and then grow bigger and bigger. Like the snowball effect.
No matter what resolutions you’re trying to achieve, make them realistic. Set yourself up to win, not to fail.
Read: Setting Realistic VS Unrealistic Goals: What You Need to Know
2. Focus on Only 1-3 Goals at a Time
Next, try not to split yourself too thin by setting too many resolutions. I mean, you can have a number of resolutions, but you can only work on just a few at a time. Preferably, focus on only 1-3 resolutions at a time.
The more you try to achieve, the lack of focus you will have. And when you lose your focus, you will miss your targets.
Think about it, it is better to have a completed project than to have 10 half-done projects. The quantity doesn’t matter here. It is about completion and getting things done.
Don’t try to write 3 books in one go. And don’t try to build a few businesses at the same time. Do it once at a time. If you want to become an internet entrepreneur, start with just one business first.
Once you have mastered and systemized your existing business, only then you can choose to expand and go into another business.
Too many people overload themselves with goals and New Year’s resolutions. They spread themselves too thin and eventually, they got lost and failed to achieve most of their goals.
Never let this happen to you. Try to focus on just a few important resolutions. Once you have accomplished them, then only work on the others.
I strongly suggest you read this book, The ONE Thing, to understand what truly matters and do what gives you the most impact.
Success is not about doing as much as possible, it is about doing what truly matters that gives your life a positive impact.
3. Break Down Your Goals into Smaller Milestones
The next tip to help you achieve your resolutions is to break them down into smaller milestones.
Trying to tackle the big goal may be difficult. Think about it, if your resolution is to build a successful blog, and after a few weeks down the road, you still don’t see any significant results, you will quickly lose hope and throw in the towel.
The key to achieving your resolutions is to turn them into smaller and actionable pieces where you can execute easily.
For instance, if your resolution is to write a book, what should you do? You just need to break the project into smaller actionable pieces. You can commit to writing just 500 words a day.
And within 30 days, you will have 15,000 words. And in 6 months, you will have written 90,000 words, which is about 180 pages for an average book.
That’s how you get to achieve your resolution – one step at a time.
Therefore, don’t focus on the big goal. Yes, you started with a big goal, but when it comes to execution, you want to make sure you take action and do what is necessary each day.
You want to win the day. And if you continue to win your day, eventually, you will win your week, your month, and your year.
The same goes if your resolution is to get back in shape. You don’t just think about losing the additional fat and having a slim body. You work on your exercise plan and diet every day.
Make sure you win your day plan and stick to it for as long as possible, and eventually, you will win your year. That’s how success is created.
Therefore, break your resolutions or your annual goals into smaller milestones. Instead of having a 1-year goal, turn it into several 90-day goals.
The shorter timeframe allows you to better plan, anticipate, and work on what is necessary.
Read: Why Small Goals Are Important and How to Set Them
4. Come Up with an Actionable Plan
You can’t just dream about your New Year’s resolutions. You are what you do, not what you think you will do. Thus, come up with an actionable plan.
Don’t just think about what you want, put them down into papers or diary or planner, and then plan and schedule your actions to make your resolutions happen.
When you think about your goals, they will remain dreams. But when you create a plan for what you need to do to achieve them, you are making your goals more tangible.
The more specific your action plan, the better your chances of success.
Most people are not committed to their New Year’s resolutions, and that is why they only dream and think about them. They don’t plan to make them happen.
When you consciously make plans for your resolutions, you become more committed, and as a result, you are more likely to take action and stick to your plan.
5. Take Action and Execute Your Plan
After you have created your action plan, the following step is obvious – stick to your plan and work on it.
This is where most people fail. They fail to follow through and take the necessary action. Don’t be them.
The only way to achieve your New Year’s resolutions is to work on them. If you are not willing to take the necessary action, then, by the end of the year, you will still be where you are.
Remember, success doesn’t come automatically. Money isn’t going to fall from the sky. You will never wake up the next day and find that you have lost the extra fat and have 6 pack-abs. Things don’t happen that way.
You need to work for what you want. If you want to build a profitable business, you must be willing to work on the business. If you want to get back in shape, make sure you are willing to exercise and follow a good diet plan.
You can’t reap if you are not willing to sow. The book can’t write itself. I can’t do the push-ups for you. And nobody will build your business for you.
You need to do it yourself. Take action and stick to your plan.
Read: 10 Action Steps You Can Take to Achieve Your Goals This Year
6. Get a Support Partner
Yes, you need to get a support partner or an accountability partner. The reason is that you want to get someone to involve so you will be more committed and accountable for your progress.
If you keep your goals and plans to yourself, nobody will know if you are working on them. And the problem is that most people are lazy and they choose to procrastinate whenever possible.
So, we need to get someone to hold us accountable. The moment we share our resolutions and progress with someone who can encourage us, we are setting up the accountability system to work.
Think about it, when you tell someone about your goals and what you’re going to do the following week, chances are, you will feel the pressure, and most likely, you will take the action because you have made a public commitment.
Here’s what you can do. Share your resolution with someone who supports you. And then tell him or her that you will send your progress report to him or her every week.
Yes, you have to be serious about this in order for it to work. Every week, send a short email or text message to your accountability partner, tell him or her what you have accomplished in the week and what you’re going to do the next week.
Plus, give your accountability partner permission to keep track of your progress. Make sure your partner is optimistic and who wants you to succeed.
That’s how you can up the game and stick to your plan to achieve your New Year’s resolutions.
Read: How to Work with an Accountability Partner to Conquer Your Personal Goals
7. Measure Your Results Every Week
As I mentioned above, each week, you must perform a progress report and measure your results.
You can’t leave things up to chance. If you don’t know your progress, there is no way you can tell if you are moving forward or backward from your goals.
Most people don’t measure their progress, and this is why they lose track of their resolutions and eventually give up on them.
When you track and measure your progress, you are keeping yourself on track. Besides, you know what is working and what is not. So, you can improve your action plan and make your action more effective.
Furthermore, measuring your progress each week is a great way to maintain your motivation. There is a saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”.
And if you want to keep your resolutions in your mind, review them every week. It is also a great way to remind yourself of what you want to achieve throughout the year.
Read: The Importance of Daily Goal Setting and How to Do It Right
8. Block Off an Hour for Planning
Next, try to schedule and block off at least an hour each week for planning. As I said above, if you don’t measure your progress, eventually, you will lose track and lose yourself in your daily activities.
You will quickly forget about your resolutions and lose interest in them. And so, to prevent your motivation from fading, you must come back to your goals at least once each week.
Therefore, schedule an hour for planning. During your planning session, review what went right and what went wrong during the week. And then plan for the following week. Write down what action steps you will take.
When you do so, you are giving your mind specific instructions on what to do in the following week. You put yourself in a proactive situation whereby you are making things happen rather than waiting for things to happen.
The key is to connect yourself with your resolutions on a regular basis. This is why planning is important.
It is alright if your plan doesn’t go accordingly. The most important thing is planning. Understand this, wars are won in the general’s tent. So, make time for planning.
9. Adjust and Improve Your Strategy
Do expect that things are going to be tough and you will encounter mistakes and failures. But that doesn’t mean you should give up.
What you need to do is to adjust your plan and improve your strategy. This is why tracking your progress is important.
When you do something and it is not getting you the result you want, you just need to change your strategy and do something else. If you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep the same old results you have always got.
You want to improve your strategy on a regular basis.
A lot of people try to build a business, but when they fail, instead of improving their strategy, they jump ship and start another business.
Things don’t work that way. You can’t quit when you face some obstacles or difficulties. If going up doesn’t work, try going down. What if going down doesn’t work too? Well, try to go through it. Here’s a saying from Michael Jordan:
“If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
Michael Jordan
Chances are if you are on your way to your office and the road somehow is closed, what are you going to do?
Are you going to stop there and wait? Not likely.
Are you going to turn back home? Don’t think so too.
You will just take a detour and use another road instead. You don’t let the road closure stop you, isn’t it?
But when it comes to goals and New Year’s resolutions, most people quit and give up. They stop taking action and abandon their goals. Never let this happen to you.
Learn to improve your strategy. Measure your progress and find out what’s working. Keep improving yourself and your plan until you become the right person for the success you desire.
10. Reward and Celebrate Your Wins
Finally, reward your effort and hard work. You want to celebrate your wins so that you feel good and want to take more action.
It doesn’t matter how big or small your wins, as long as you are making progress, celebrate. Feel good about it. Give yourself a pat on the back.
For example, if your resolution is to lose 10kg, you can’t hit the target with just one workout session. But you must reward yourself for that workout session.
The key is to make yourself feel good so that you will build up the habit of taking action. Yes, to achieve your New Year’s resolutions, you need to build up a new habit.
The secret to your success is in your daily agenda. It is what you do on a daily basis that counts. Hence, build productive habits. And when it comes to building habits, the best guide you can get is this book, Atomic Habits.
Remember, you want to focus on winning your day. And if you do it consistently, you will win your week. And soon winning your week becomes winning your month. And winning your months will become winning your year.
Read: 13 Great Ways How to Celebrate Small Victories and Make Progress
Bonus: Incorporate Your Resolutions to Your Daily Life
Here’s another bonus idea I would love to share with you. It is important that you incorporate your goals into your daily life.
Most people fail because they don’t program their resolutions into their minds. As a result, they quickly forget about them.
And when they are not aware of their targets, they don’t take action. And when they don’t take action, they fail to produce the results. By the time they realize it, usually, it will be too late to act.
More importantly, if your goals are not in your mind, you will lose the connection and interest in them. Your motivation will wane and eventually give up on your goals.
So, don’t let this happen to you. Incorporate your resolutions to your daily life. Here are a few things you can do…
Poster
Use a poster as the trigger to remind you of your resolutions. If your New Year’s resolution is to get back in shape, then put up a poster of a slim person as a reminder. Else, you can also print out your goals and put them on the wall where you can see them often.
Daily Affirmations
Practice daily affirmations. Create positive mantras to help inspire you each day. Every morning before you start your day, repeat the affirmations. And every time whenever you are free, like waiting in line or commuting, you can also repeat your affirmations to inspire yourself.
Read: 5 Simple Rules How To Make Your Affirmations Work
Vision Boards
Another thing you can do is to create a vision board for your New Year’s resolutions. Search all the related pictures and print them out. Paste the pictures and put them on a big cardboard. And every time when you see the vision board, it will remind you of your goals and what you need to do to realize them.
Read: Vision Boards – The Ultimate Guide to Creating and Living Your Dream Life
Calendar
You can also use a table calendar to remind yourself of your resolutions. Use the Calendar Method to help you build a good habit and stick to your plan.
Conclusion
These are some of the tips on how you can achieve your New Year’s resolutions. Work hard for what you want. I bet you don’t want your 2022 to be the same as 2021.
We all crave improvement and we want to live a better life. Nobody wants to live in mediocrity. So, stick to the ideas above and make 2022 a life-changing year.
Wow ! What a fantastic article, I really appreciate it sir thank you.
Thanks, Shawn. There is such great and inspiring knowledge in this article. I am an aspiring success coach and I am really liking the fact that your content resonates with my personal development and success knowledge needs. I look forward to implementing these tips in 2022. Thanks.