New Year, New Me: How To Stay Committed To Your Plans.

A brand-new year offers a fresh, clean slate and exciting opportunities. It’s probably one of the biggest reasons why most people are inspired to create resolutions or New Year plans that will hopefully reinvent themselves or transform their lives positively.
However, sticking to them can be challenging, and more often than not, they end up being completely forgotten after a few months. But that doesn’t have to be the case with yours. Got any resolutions this New Year? Here are some friendly tips to help you keep them all year round and achieve your goals.

Be Realistic 

It’s important to be clear, specific, realistic, and intentional about your resolutions. Ask yourself why you’re doing them and what you’re looking to accomplish as a result. Because when the going gets tough, it can be easy to give up and lose sight of why you’re doing it in the first place. So, steer clear of vague, overly complicated, or unrealistic expectations. You’ll have higher chances of being successful if they’re doable, to begin with. Like business plans, make your New Year’s resolutions SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-
bound. 

Have a Plan 

As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” Be strategic about how you see yourself hitting your goals. Create a detailed plan that breaks down overwhelming tasks into simple, positive habit changes. Identify potential hurdles and come up with a backup solution in case it happens. Make a list, a spreadsheet, or a vision board, whatever works best for you. 

•  Want to get a well-deserved promotion at your remote work this year? Draw a strategic plan on how to boost your productivity while working from home. What do you do if you can’t focus or get stuck in a rut but have targets and deadlines to hit? Sign yourself up for a local co-working space or find a cute coffee shop where you can get in the zone.
• Looking to overcome the bad habit of overspending and instead save money religiously to get out of student loan or credit card debt or a downpayment for your dream home? Create a monthly budget, use an app to track your spending, and automate a certain amount into your savings account regularly. 
• Or do you want to wake up early and be a part of the 5 AM Club like Michelle Obama? Then start by finding ways to get a good night’s sleep, including baby steps like optimizing your bedtime routine and removing distractions from your bedroom. Interestingly, one of the best health benefits of a clean home is having better sleep quality, among others, so you may want to look into that as well.

Go for Progress, Not Perfection

Expect yourself to struggle and make mistakes along the way. Nobody’s perfect, after all. Be kind to yourself whenever you fail. That’s okay. What’s important is you pick up where you left off and continue your journey. Celebrate small wins and use them to motivate you to strive harder. For example, if you want to achieve a fitter and healthier physique, focus on non-scale victories. Acknowledge how your clothes look better on you these days, how happier you feel when nurturing your body with nutritious and delicious meals, or how many awesome people
you’ve met during your morning run around your block.

By Jade Piper.