Sticking with Your Resolutions

How to Track and Accomplish New Year’s Goals

Dec 29, 2009
Johanus Haidner

New Year's Resolution Success - Dan

It's not always easy to stick to the goals one sets. Here is a proven strategy to make New Year's resolutions easier to accomplish.

When a person first sets New Year’s resolutions, it is always with the best intentions on following through. However, not everyone has a strategy to make those come true. It really helps if there is a step-by-step plan to make this year’s resolutions work!

Write Down Your New Year’s Goals

Fifty percent of the battle is actually writing down what it is that one really wishes to accomplish. The goals can be as lofty as double one’s income or as simple as stick to a better diet plan, or any other realistic goal.

It's essential that a goal is realistic. It's unwise to set a goal like “win the lottery,” as that is not something within a person’s direct control, nor is it something that one can actually come up with a set of steps to accomplish. A realisable resolution (goal) must have realisable objectives and a set of tasks that one must do in order to make that resolution stick, thus accomplishing the actual goal of that resolution.

If, for example, the resolution is to eat better, then write down the reasons why eating better is the resolution (a common one) and what things must be accomplished in order to do this. This brings one to the next level of the plan: objectives.

Set Realistic Objectives and Write Them Down with Timelines

Sticking with our example of eating better, it is not always easy to get to the perfect diet (our one’s concept of that) overnight. Therefore, it is easier to set specific objectives that work towards that. For example, if cutting out high fat foods is part of the overall goal, then set an objective to do that. And make a date that is must be done by. Here is an example:

Goal: eat better and healthier in the New Year.

Reason: better health, losing weight, feeling better about myself

Things that need to be accomplished: eat less fatty foods, less caffeine, less beer, more vegetables, more fresh fruit

In this example, the things that need to be accomplished will work as the objectives to make the resolution come true. So it can be taken a step at a time. Therefore, the first objective could be to eat less fatty foods. Of course it doesn’t have to be the first, these can be done in any order, as well as simultaneously. Make sure that each objective is listed with a final date to have completed all of the tasks associated with it.

List the Tasks Required to Meet the Objectives and the Timelines to do Each Task

In the example the first objective is to eater fewer fatty foods. Therefore, there could be a list of tasks, such as the example shown here:

Cut out extra desserts January 15;
Substitute healthier/lower fat desserts February 15;
Make meals lower fat (more vegetables) March 15; and
Cut out unhealthy snacks April 15, and so on.

With such a timeline and list of tasks to meet each objective it makes it easier to accomplish the resolution. Remember, it doesn’t have to be done all at once on January 1. Spacing it out can make it easier to meet goals, thereby allowing one to keep his/her resolution. And also remember that each of the objectives can work independently, but also simultaneously. Follow this plan and you will make your goals for this coming New Year!

New Year's Resolution - Sample Goal Outline

Goal - eat better and healthier

Objective - eat fewer fatty foods, complete by May 31
1. Tasks: (as shown in above example)
Objective - consume no more than one caffeinated drink per day, complete by June 30.

The tasks for this objective could be something like:

Stop going to coffee shop 3 times per day – Go only one time per day from January 1 to April 30 and stop going completely, except on special occasion after April 30;
Brew only one pot of coffee per day at home, complete by February 15;
Stop drinking coffee at work, complete by May 1 – Reduce to three cups per day by February 15. Reduce to one cup per day by April 15 and reduce to zero cups at work by May 1.

So, using a step-by-step plan that fully outlines the goal of the resolution and all of the objectives and tasks required to complete it, with realistic time lines and accomplishable tasks will make sure that any resolution will be kept!

Readers may also wish to learn more about goal setting and personal success.