Top 10 Tips for Keeping Resolutions
I often joke that I think I have spent more time thinking about resolutions than anyone else on earth.
While that may or may not actually be true, I strongly believe it is pretty close to accurate. Not only do I set (and keep) my own resolutions as I blog, podcast, and post about the topic, but I also encourage and support friends, family, and clients who strive to act similarly. Plus, technically, I have dedicated an entire business to the topic. And so, I feel that I am uniquely qualified to share tips, tricks, and strategies to help those who want to keep their resolutions do so.
Of course, some of my top 10 tips could be similarly applied to any kind of goal, but most draw upon the unique benefits and strengths of resolutions and, thus, are most relevant to those who set them. So in order to keep resolutions, it is important to…
Intend to keep them. The number one reason that people fail to keep resolutions is that they are often set without the expectation that they will be kept. Resolutions are conceptualized and portrayed as nice ideas and things that we want, but that are unlikely to last and even less likely to ever come to the desired fruition. Jokes about their longevity (or lack thereof) are part of the established narrative. But I strongly believe that when resolutions are set the right way, they allow us to integrate into our lives things that are important to us - and that can’t happen if they are set without any real intention to carry them out. If you want to keep a resolution, you have to intend to keep the resolution.
Keep them front of mind throughout the year. Just as those jokes imply, often by January 2nd (or certainly by June 2nd), resolutions are often forgotten about. And when resolutions are forgotten, it is incredibly difficult for them to be kept - even if they were set with the intention of being so. Many different tools and techniques exist to remember resolutions throughout the year. For me, I keep them listed in the Notes app on my phone, and they come to mind often enough that I don’t need any additional reminders to frequently check in (or check things off). Other people might need reminders in other forms, and that’s totally okay - the only wrong way to make ourselves remember is if we let ourselves forget.
Utilize accountability. It is ideal if accountability for resolutions can be found with someone else who is also keeping resolutions because you will have similar timelines, check-in points, and ideological support. But, really, any kind or form of accountability is beneficial to keep track of progress, be encouraged, and celebrate success all along the way.
Look for inspiration from those who have done it before you. As a self-proclaimed resolution expert (although that is a designation that a few other people have awarded me as well), I can certainly provide guidance to those who desire to keep their resolutions (a la this blog post). However, I am not an expert in all other areas, so I also encourage those who have set resolutions in particular categories to also turn to the experts in those. They can provide so much guidance, advice, and support, particularly in the face of difficulties because, in all likelihood, they have experienced the same (or at least similar) struggles. There are people who have reached the goals that we set, and they can provide the tactical tips and strategic tricks, along with the mindset, wisdom, and understanding necessary to keep moving forward.
Create a vision for where you are going to be on December 31st. Goal-setting outside of resolutions doesn’t come with built-in reflection or reference points. With resolutions, however, it is always true that December 31st is the last day of the year, and that offers an inherent timeframe to approach our goals. And so, a vision can be created as to the people we want to be, what we want to have accomplished, and how we want to have grown by the time that day rolls around next year. Where and how NYE is going to be celebrated may or may not play into the vision, but most importantly, creating an understanding and cultivating a desire for the person you want to be in that moment is an incredibly valuable tool.
Have a plan for when the plan doesn't work. Let’s be real, things rarely go according to plan. So, it makes sense that if we want to set ourselves up for success, we must approach our resolutions with flexibility and a backup plan (or a dozen). When we set a goal, often we have a pretty good understanding of the obstacles that we're going to face along the way to checking it off and by anticipating those and making a response plan for if (or rather, when) those difficulties arise, we will be prepared when they do and in a much better position to keep making progress, regardless of when it comes up or what we may be working on.
Recognize your progress throughout the year. I always encourage my clients and friends to include celebration as a primary component in their end-of-year vision, and I certainly join them in toasting all of the success they’ve created. But I also remind them of the importance of recognizing progress as it occurs, throughout the year. This is even more true of resolutions that may really be laying the foundation for lifelong habits without any kind of natural end, as those things are crucial and also deserve to be celebrated. In addition to being fun and beneficial, celebration also reinforces our self-confidence and our self-trust, which are some of the greatest benefits to reaching any goal and the driving force behind being able to do so over and over again into the future. Progress and success must be recognized all throughout the year, not just on December 31st.
Remember that a year is an entire year, but that a year is also only a year. It is possible to accomplish so much during a year. But, it is important to approach resolutions realistically - not everything has to be accomplished all at once. A year provides a significant number of opportunities for forward progress. In 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days, resolutions can be kept, but a balance must also be struck between pushing for growth and pushing toward burnout, particularly in the context of the year that the resolutions are set.
Don’t be afraid to defer things to later in the year, in fact, plan on it. This is one of the aspects of resolutions that I love the most and utilize frequently in my life. When I started my podcast last year, I knew that I wanted a handful of episodes out before the new year, but that also there was some significant legwork that I needed to do to prepare. Pretty quickly I determined that I would plan to release the podcast in September, and with that decision in place, I was able to begin to take action to make that a reality - and I did. Not all resolutions have to start on January 1st or end on December 31st. It is okay to allow some things to fall later in the year and to intentionally plan on that. This isn’t to procrastinate or allow important resolutions to be forgotten, but rather to allow the creation of a plan that fits with your life because the entire point of resolutions is that a year is dedicated to their accomplishment.
Celebrate your success at the end of the year, and recognize the realization of your vision. When December 31st rolls around, it may or may not look like the vision that you created, but it is still important to recognize successes where they exist, identify progress, and celebrate all of it. Often by December 31st, any resolutions that have been kept are shrugged off, but celebration is a skill, one that is worth cultivating, and that only reinforces your ability and desire to keep resolutions again next year. The end of the year often allows time for reflection (another perk of resolutions), a chance to plan for the upcoming one, and opportunities for celebration. While we should still celebrate successes all year long, it is even more crucial at the end of the year, as we recognize how our vision has aligned, maybe how it hasn't, and to take the time to intentionally identify the pride, success, accomplishment, self-confidence, and self-trust that have been achieved. And from there, a new year and new resolutions can commence from the best possible foundation.
As we pursue new resolutions, we are able to do so with all that we’ve learned from the previous set, and we continue to strengthen the attributes, attitudes, and abilities that make keeping resolutions possible. I strongly believe that those who intend to keep resolutions and are committed to overcoming the obstacles that will arise by using these tips (and all the other tools I share on the podcast, blog, social media, my services, and in every other way), can keep the resolutions they set. Over the course of a year, their success will become inevitable, and I will join them in toasting their success once the end of it rolls around.
Until next time,