Remember how motivated you were when you set your New Year’s resolution?
It probably felt like a driving force came over you — you were so energized, determined, and excited to tackle your goal. You had the confidence that this was your year to make some big changes in your life.
But that focused energy in January may have lost a bit of its fire come February. And before you know it, you’re well into March without making as much progress as you’d hoped.
Then you may start feeling like keeping that New Year’s resolution might not happen after all.
But we’re here to tell you that it absolutely can happen!
It’s never too late to reassess and recommit to the goals you set for yourself at the start of the new year. We’ll show you how with a simple three-step plan to get and stay on track:
Use This 3-Step Game Plan To Keep Your New Year’s Resolution Going Strong All Year Long
Whether you’ve fallen off the wagon or you’re trying to be proactive about not letting that happen, these easy-to-tackle steps will keep your New Year’s resolution a top priority:
Step 1: Give Your Goals a Fresh Set Of Eyes
Most people don’t realize that they should consistently check in on their goals and adjust or update them as needed.
No, we’re not suggesting that you keep changing them to make them easier. It’s more about ensuring that your goals actually work for you in your current stage of life.
Ask yourself these questions to reassess your resolution:
Is this goal really feasible, or am I setting myself up for a letdown? If you struggle to reach 10k steps per day, for example, a resolution to walk 15k may be too much of a reach.
Why am I focusing on this resolution specifically? It’s vital to find real motivation if you ever want to commit to something long-term. So think about your why. If your why isn’t super important to you, you’ll always find ways to let other tasks take priority over your resolution.
Am I excited to keep this resolution? If the thought of achieving your resolution doesn’t energize you, it’s time to create new goals that do. No one says you can’t start fresh with a new resolution that actually gives you life.
By giving your goals a once-over with a fresh lens, you can see whether they need a bit of tweaking to really stick.
You should work on a resolution that’s challenging and a little intimidating (but not unattainable or overwhelming). Then make it easy to get started and stay on track with our next step.
Step 2: Make Your Goals Easier to Tackle By Breaking Them Into Mini-Wins
We get so focused on wanting the end result that we lose sight of how many little steps it takes to get there. Keeping your New Year’s resolution is all about showing up for these mini-wins.
Mentally getting over the hurdle of showing up, actually showing up, not giving up when you show up, and continuing the process the next day and the day after is the real challenge here.
That’s why it’s best to break down your goals into super small, easier-to-do tasks. After you conquer each one, you’ll feel a motivating sense of accomplishment. And by the time you knock out a few, you’ll be closer to your finish line without even realizing it.
Rather than getting overwhelmed by allllllllllll the steps it’s going to take to get there, your job is to just focus on the tiny one in front of you (and the next one after that).
This strategy also allows you to do some heavy lifting in advance. That way, all you have to do is show up. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but this should help move things along.
For example, you probably heard that you should lay out your workout clothes a day in advance, and it’s true. Because you don’t have to think about what to wear, you can just wake up or get home from work, throw everything on, grab a protein bar, and beeline to your workout.
Removing one thing to think about makes it easier and faster to get to the next step.
To use this effective strategy to reach your health and fitness goals:
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Fill up a reusable water bottle before bed and leave it on your nightstand. Drink this as soon as you get out of bed if you’re struggling to drink more water each day.
- Leave a journal and a nice pen on your nightstand. Try to start or end your day with a gratitude session or journal entry about your progress. Reflect on how far you’ve come.
- Keep your yoga mat rolled out in your favorite spot. Seeing that all set up may encourage more daily stretching or a quick flow before or after work.
- Plan out your workouts in advance. Choose one day a week to pick out your daily workouts ahead of time, so you don’t waste time deciding the day of.
When each small step is so easy to take, you’ll find it effortless to keep chugging along. And if you combine this step with our final one, you’ll be an unstoppable force.
Step 3: Use the Jerry Seinfeld Technique
Okay, Jerry Seinfeld didn’t technically create this technique, but he did make it popular. It’s a strategy known as “don’t break the chain.”
Every time you complete your goal for the day, you write a big red “X” on that day in your calendar or planner. The idea is to keep your red “X” streak going for as long as you can, so you see a chain of “Xs,” hence the name.
This effective, low-effort method is visually motivating and encouraging — it’s fun to see how many times you completed your goal. It also makes your accomplishment of showing up more tangible.
If you miss a day and break the chain, no big deal! You can hop back on track and try to top your longest red “X” streak with an even longer one.
We Believe In Your Power To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions Going Strong!
You’re now equipped with a simple three-step plan to ensure your New Year’s resolutions actually come to fruition this year.
Keep this page bookmarked and refer back to it any time you’re about to fall off the wagon (or you actually do). Consider sharing it with your friends and family who also need a game plan and a little motivating push.
Remember, the only failure is quitting. So as long as you get back up and try again, you’re doing great and you’ll reach your goals in no time!
Psst! Check out our post on How To Get Organized for the New Year for more life-upgrading tips next!
Author: Devan Ciccarelli
Email: devan@behappynothangry.com
Instagram/Facebook Group: @behappynothangry/Be Happy Not Hangry
Website: www.behappynothangry.com
