Many people use the new years as a clean slate and as a chance to better oneself in many different ways. Every year I set a new year’s resolution but, oftentimes I forget what my goal was halfway through the year or I just give up. To help you maintain your long term goals and start the year off right, I am going to share some helpful tips and tricks to help maintain your New Year’s resolutions for the upcoming year.

1. Set a realistic goal

Setting a realistic goal will help you achieve success. Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself might make you burn out or give up on your goal since it is out of reach. Instead, think about starting with a smaller goal and building off of that goal until you reach your goal, for example instead of saying “I’m gonna be as skinny as a stick”, you could say “I’m gonna be more healthy and workout more”.

2. Be specific about the goal 

Having a vague goal like “study more” or “be more organized,” can be detrimental to achieving your goals. Try setting smaller, more specific goals like “sit down and study for 1 hour with no distractions,” or “take 15 minutes a day to make sure my backpack and room are cleaned.” This will help you build a habit out of it and these goals are measurable. Having a specific and measurable goal will make sure you know what you’re aiming for and keep you focused throughout the year.

3. Make a step-by-step plan on how you are going to accomplish this goal

Taking a new goal head-on might make your resolution fail. If you make a step-by-step plan it will be easier to follow and will make achieving your final goal easier. In your step-by-step plan try adding days you want to achieve each step, for example, you could say “ I want to keep all my laundry done this week.” Then once you accomplish this mini goal you can move on to the next goal and build up to your final goal of keeping your room clean.

4. Find an accountability buddy

With an accountability buddy, you can have someone check in on your goal and how you are making progress and you do the same for them. This should be someone you trust and can talk to! Together, you can both achieve your goals, whether you are both looking to achieve the same thing or looking to hold each other accountable for different goals.

5. Make your resolution a habit

It takes around 66 days to form a habit. That’s only 2 months and a couple days. Once you have this habit, sticking to your goal will be easier to reach and you won’t even be thinking about what you’re doing. 

With these tips, you’ll be more likely to reach your final goal. Keep in mind, even if you fail one day, don’t give up. There are 365 days in a year to better yourself and goals can be set at any point of the year. Start small and be consistent, and you’ll be sure to reach your goal.