How to Make (and Keep) a New Year’s Resolution

As we approach the end of the year, it is time to reflect on the year that’s gone and think about what we want to achieve in the year to come. Since for many of us this will mean making New Year’s resolutions, the Business Optimizer team considers how to successfully make 2019’s resolutions stick.

1. Pick one thing

Trying to kick off too many new habits at once can be setting yourself up for failure. Decide which is most important to you and focus on embedding that before moving on to anything else.

2. Anticipate problems

If you are prepared to deal with distractions and obstacles you are more likely to overcome them better. When you set yourself your goal, think about the things that might prevent you from achieving it and work out strategies in advance to ensure you aren’t blown off track.

3. Step by Step

Breaking a task into more manageable chunks is a good way to ensure steady progress and the ultimate achievement of your goal. Rather than focusing on the end (and distant) goal, treat your resolution as a plan for achievement and tackle it step by step.

4. Eat the Frog

If your resolution involves doing something new, getting it out of the way early in the day can help to ensure you get it done. As well as the sense of achievement you gain early in your day, research has found that it can help to make the behavior stick; simple habits form more quickly in the morning than in the evening.

5. Monitor Your Progress

Invest in a journal or wall chart to track and record your progress – this can be a powerful motivation. Gretchen Rubin, the author of Better than Before, told the Guardian: “People who monitor behavior tend to do a better job, even if they’re not actively trying to change.”

6. Believe in Yourself

With these success tips in mind, you can make your 2019 resolutions with confidence and maximize your success.