New Year Resolutions: How to Make Them Achievable

Do something new or do it differently

The New Year is around the corner and many of us will make statements otherwise known as New Year resolutions. The name given to these statements indicates that they are strongly cast in stone and that the owner of the resolutions will do something towards achieving those resolutions.

Do not make empty promises

Many of us make empty New Year resolutions and never bother to achieve any of them since accountability lies solely with us. We lack the discipline to follow up on our resolutions and therefore end up with empty promises unto ourselves that are repeated year in year out.

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Resolutions have become smart ways of lying to self

Resolutions have become smart ways of lying to ourselves; they have become ways of repeating what we have promised ourselves time and again. Will you lie again this year? Will you promise yourself what you have promised yourself before and failed to achieve? Will you make the same resolutions you made last year and failed to put in place?

How to make achievable resolutions

There are ways to try and reduce the possibility of making resolutions that will not be achievable. When these tips are put in place, they reduce the possibility of lying to yourself and make you disciplined enough to resolve what you can achieve:

1. Give yourself a time frame – Instead of resolving to do this or that, make it clear that you will do this by a particular time of the year. Try to use deadlines as a guide to achieving any goals you set.
2. Put it in writing – When we don’t put down our resolutions on paper, the mind finds excuses that seek to avoid them altogether. Write down any genuine resolutions in a notebook or diary which you can access later for review.
3. Involve your family – For resolutions to stick, it is advisable to involve close members of your family. A parent or spouse can easily remind you of any resolutions you may have made but failed to carry out.
4. Don’t be hard on yourself – Don’t resolve what is clearly beyond your capacity. Resolving something like ‘To publish a thousand articles on Triond by January’ when you have less than 100 at the moment may not be practical.
5. Remember they remain your resolutions – As much as you may want to involve close members, as much as writing them may be important, as much as you may want to give yourself a strict time frame, your resolutions remain yours and nobody but you will determine how much you achieve.

What is your New Year resolution?