It can be hard to commit to big changes, especially when those shifts are drastic. If you have not exercised in the past year, making a goal to wake up at 5:00 a. m. every morning to run five miles would be unreasonable. Likely, you won’t even get up or work out at all. Some might begin this routine but not maintain it for very long since it’s only a matter of time before they become burnt out and never try again until next year. This is why it is crucial to make achievable goals that will have an impact over time. For example, instead of five miles every day, it could be a goal to exercise for only thirty minutes or to run but not a set distance or time. This creates enough flexibility for a goal to become achievable and not an unrealistic stressor. 

 It is important to plan out how you will accomplish your resolutions.  Be picky about what you are choosing to do because your resolutions won’t be so broad or seem impossible. Having a plan or routine makes the execution of said objective easier and not as big of a task. This also helps create a habit instead of a chore. If reading twenty pages of a book is part of your nightly routine, it no longer seems so out of place. When there is a set time for a specific activity, you are likely to follow through with it automatically. 

Sometimes your resolutions don’t have to be goals at all! You can choose a word that encompasses how you want to be in the new year and how you want to take on all the challenges, opportunities, and events in everyday life. This way of making a resolution can help with prioritizing the change. After all, addressing one word is simpler than facing a list of goals, including getting straight A’s, exercising every day, and never eating candy again. To find the word that speaks to you, it’s important to take your time and think about: what do I need?, what’s in my way?, and what has to go? This will help you reflect and choose a word that’s important to you so that it will stick with you. I have done this for two years, and it helps me to make a change and not feel overwhelmed. This year my word is “reset” because I feel as if that’s what would help me be more positive and stay on task. 

New Year’s resolutions should be fun! That’s why it’s important to focus on making goals specific, achievable, and things that form habits so they can result in  meaningful changes. Choose a strategy that works for you and take on the new year!