The New Year fills us with excitement for what’s ahead and
refills us with resolve to make the next twelve months better than the last.
Setting goals, including New Year’s resolutions, helps us put our year into
perspective and prioritize what’s really important. However, studies
show that approximately 80% of people who made a resolution on January 1, gave
up on it by the first week of February. If you’d like to take 2021 into your
own hands and not become another statistic, follow these helpful hints to
ensure you achieve your New Year’s resolution.
Outline the Path to Achieving Your Goal
Many folks write a list of resolutions at the beginning of
the year, post it on the refrigerator or sticky-note it to their computer, then
never give that list a second thought. Instead of creating a laundry list of
things you’d like to accomplish, habits you’d wish to break, or bucket list
items you want to check, pick a few top resolutions and outline the path to
achieving those things.
For example, if your New Year’s resolution is to try new
things, create a step-by-step guide for how you can achieve that goal. Write
down a few activities, hobbies, or events you want to experience, and lay out
the path it would take to get there. Write down obstacles you may encounter,
external help you may need to enlist, and the overall benefits you’ll reap upon
achieving this goal.
Enlist an Accountability Partner
Accomplishing a goal, be it large or small, can be a crucial
tool in sticking to a new habit. Ask a friend, neighbor, spouse, or coworkers
to help keep you accountable. Share with them your goal and the steps you’ve
outlined that will get you there. If you feel like you need another person to
have a vested interest in order to keep you accountable, offer them some sort
of incentive to check in daily, weekly, or monthly.
Give Yourself a Reward
The top New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, eating
healthier, cutting back on alcohol, and exercising more. While the end goal of
each of these things is itself a reward, it’s important to treat yourself along
the way.
The journey to accomplishing your New Year’s resolution may
involve running daily, paying off debt in small chunks at a time, or something
similar. Create milestones and set a reward in place for each one you meet.
That way, you’ll have some incentive to keep going, even as the calendar
continues to move away from the first of the year.
Keep Trying
Depending on your goal, there may be room to backslide. Have
compassion for yourself and change up your approach if you find that you’re
continually failing. Enlist the help of additional accountability partners or
set smaller milestones that incentivize you to keep going.
It’s ok to stumble upon first starting out. Setting goals
means that you’re on the path to self-improvement. Stephen Covey, author of “7
Habits of Highly Effective People” writes, “Be patient with yourself.
Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”
New Year’s resolutions are often sloughed off just as
quickly as they are set. However, the dawn of a new twelve-month period offers
a clean slate and a fresh start. There’s no time like the present to start working
on yourself. The Piedmont Apartments places residents in the lap of the Rocky Mountains – prime
territory for personal growth and exploration. Contact us today to learn more
about our awesome apartments and amenities.