Starting a new year is such a hopeful time. We make notes, either mentally or on paper, of New Year’s resolutions we’re determined to accomplish. Yet, all too often, we stumble over the first steps of change and quietly retreat to old, unhealthy habits. Why not determine for this year to be different with a few helpful tips on setting New Year’s goals
1. Write goals down and review them
periodically
Resolutions that aren’t written down are destined to fail quickly. Write them out and keep your list of New
Year’s goals in a place where you will see them regularly, so you can review
your progress and recommit on a consistent basis.
Ideas:
- Tape your goals to your bathroom mirror where you’ll see them first and last thing every day.
- For goals that require some accountability for success, affix them to your fridge. Just make sure they’re ones you don’t mind your kids asking about because ask they will.
- Take a photo of your resolutions and post them as your computer screensaver or as your smart phone wallpaper.
2. Create goals for different areas of
your life
You may be most concerned that you get your finances in order, but how about
those other areas of life? If you set one or two goals in each of them, you’re
bound to see a ripple effect in every area.
Ideas:
- Relationship goals
- Work goals
- Spiritual goals
- Health and Fitness goals
- Finance goals
- Body goals
3. Reward yourself for achieving your goals
You’ll be much more inclined to set resolutions next year if you can remember
the thrill and the reward of accomplishing goals this year. Just make sure that
your reward doesn’t make it harder to accomplish any of your other goals. So if
you’re trying to cut back on debt, don’t reward yourself for losing weight with
a trip to Jamaica!
Ideas:
- Treat yourself to a girls’ movie night out after you accomplish that fitness challenge.
- Take a nap on a weekend afternoon each week you accomplish a specific number of goals.
- Allocate a few dollars more to savings each week you pay down a debt, and do something fun with the savings when the debt is paid off.
