You Didn’t Accomplish Your New Years Resolution, Now What?

Every January, everyone you know sets New Year’s resolutions and by March everyone has quit. Now, it’s the end of the year and you wish you would have stuck with your goals. While quitting was never the plan, life probably got in the way and your focus may have shifted from your resolutions. Instead of dwelling on the missed opportunities of the past 12 months and beyond, look towards the future.

Accomplish your New Year’s resolutions with these guidelines to make your goals come true next year.

Reflection is a great habit to utilize, but replaying the what-ifs in life, is not. In life, we make mistakes and sometimes wish we could go back in time to adopt a different outcome. Instead of collecting a bank of regrets, make peace with the past and use those low moments as fuel for change. A great activity for discreet vulnerability on this road towards forgiveness is writing a letter to yourself. According to Healthline.com, getting clear about what you want and quieting the inner critic are good steps towards self-forgiveness. Also, learn from your mistakes and be patient with yourself.

It might be cliché when people tell you that you need to write down your goals to accomplish them. However, they may be onto something. The words you write down have a better chance of being remembered, according to Forbes. The article further states that writing down your goals makes you 1.2 – 1.4 times more likely to accomplish them. A visual, creative alternative to jotting them down on paper is to curate a vision board. No matter how you execute this step, writing down your words and looking at them daily will point you in the right direction.

The acronym S.M.A.R.T, stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Those five words are important in defining what your goals actually are and mapping out the best steps towards them. According to Mindtools.com, specifying your goals with these five categories will allow you to focus, clarify your ideas, and use time productively. Don’t forget to not only work hard, but work smart.

No matter what you do in life, it is always better with a group of people who support you. While naysayers are constantly orbiting around us, it is important to surround yourself with people who believe in and push you. According to Medium.com, surrounding yourself with people you admire is a great way to create your team. The article further states that those closest to you will influence you with their lifestyles, behaviors, and attitudes. Aim to surround yourself with people who motivate you and have similar goals. Remember that you are the average of the five people you surround yourself with.

Every year, since I was a child, I have set at least a dozen New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, I always gave up by mid-March and when December rolled around, I thought about the time I wasted. When I think about it, the reason why I did not stick to my goals is because I did not aim to change for me. The purpose behind my goals were not pure nor did I actually care whether they were accomplished or not. As we go through life, we often aim to reinvent ourselves which is great. However, you can only successfully reinvent yourself and maintain your new habits, if you genuinely want to.

While every day grants you the opportunity to begin anew, the new year offers a special, clean slate. With a new decade on the horizon, you have the chance to make more mistakes, alter your path, and make priceless memories.