Making Your New Year’s Resolution Stick

Are you making a New Year’s Resolution to go back to school or find a new career? While most have good intentions, it can be difficult to stick to your resolutions. Here are a few tips on taking your resolutions to the next level, whatever they may be. 

1. Make them realistic. It can be difficult to stick with a resolution if it is something that is very hard to accomplish.  Make sure to keep it reasonable and don’t set too many resolutions at the same time.  No matter how simple it is, if it betters you as a person it’s a step in the right direction. 

2.  Write it down. Putting it on paper makes it official and gives you something to look at as a reminder.  Put it on your mirror to look at when you get ready in the morning and at night. 

3. Include your friends and family for encouragement. Make sure to let people know what you are trying to accomplish so they can support and encourage you along the way, it’s a great way to keep yourself accountable.   

4. Set goals and reward yourself during the year. Just saying you want to do something for the entire year can be daunting. Try to set goals throughout the year and decide on what you can do to reward yourself along the way. For example your first goal could be to earn a certain grade on your first test, or to update your resume by February. 

5. Don’t let a minor setback derail your resolution. Give yourself a break.  Resolutions can be difficult because you are trying to do something you have previously failed to do.  If you happen to have slip ups along the way don’t let that ruin your resolution. Try and try again. If you keep getting up and trying again, you are not defeated. Keep a positive attitude. If something is worth achieving, it will take some real effort to accomplish.

A version of this post first appeared on the Aureus Medical Blog here: http://www.aureusmedical.com/blog/2011/12/20/sticking-to-your-new-year’s-resolutions/