Did you make a New Year’s resolution to make your life simpler? More productive? More sane? Is it still going strong? If so, fantastic!
If not, you have lots of company. Unfortunately, by now many people have returned to their old, comfortable habits. This year will pass the same as last year and the year before that and so on.
Here are 13 tips to help you stick with your resolutions.
- To effect permanent change, initial and ongoing motivation is critical. Without it, you’re unlikely to succeed for long. Identify and implement ways to keep yourself motivated. Focus on your desired result.
- Consistency is necessary to develop and maintain new habits.
- Have patience. It takes 28 days (or about a month) of consistent behavior to change (or create) a habit.
- Reaching goals involves changing habits and behaviors. Changing (and creating) habits is hard. If it weren’t, everyone would be able to do it. Resolve to make permanent changes.
- Be mindful.
- Be realistic. For example, years of accumulated clutter can’t be organized in an hour or two.
- Be confident. You CAN do it.
- Have an accountability partner.
- Have a vision. Clip one or more images to post in one or more prominent places.
- It’s normal to backslide. If you already backslid, take a deep breath, recommit to your goal and start anew.
- Timing is important to success. If you don’t set goals at the beginning of the year, set them whenever it feels right.
- Enjoy feeling empowered when you reach your goal.
- Achieving a goal toward an improved life is pretty awesome!
Set yourself up for success. These tips can apply to goal-setting and achievement at any time of the year. Years ago, on a whim I accomplished a major life goal on a day in December.
Good luck and have a successful, organized year!