Five Tips for Making New Years Resolutions.

New Years Resolutions, Are They a Big Waste of Time?

It is late on December 31, you’ve spent the night talking to friends & family about their goals & accomplishments. Your focus shifts to where you are in life and your ability to accomplish your life goals. The closer it gets to midnight this sinking helpless feeling starts to engulf you - will you ever be able to accomplish your goals?

You react by second guessing yourself. Is this your reality, or perhaps the eggnog-induced coma bringing forth your subconscious thoughts? In a drastic attempt to make yourself feel better about your situation you resolve to do things differently next year. You blurt out your New Years Resolutions, resolutions that are most likely the same resolutions you’ve made for prior years.

Making resolutions is easy to do. However, making and accomplishing the resolutions are two entirely different propositions.

Here are five tips for making & realizing your New Years Resolutions.

1)     Character Flaws First  - With so many choices for New Years Resolutions, it’s best to focus on resolutions that are going to give you a good strong base, a base that you can build on for years to come. For starters look at your character flaws; are there basic skills you are lacking? As an example, do you lack self-esteem or are you not confident in your abilities. If you had a good self-esteem and confidence would that not give you the momentum you need to accomplish other goals?

2)     Realistic Resolutions – We all have a vision of the way we want our lives to be, but it’s important to keep in mind that before you could run you learned to craw, walk and finally run. Keeping this in mind, think about your resolutions – are they appropriate for you? Picking appropriate resolutions that you can accomplish is going to give you the momentum you need to move on to bigger and better resolutions next year.  

3)     Detailed Resolutions  – Having a high level resolution is good & can make you feel better. But a high level resolution is nearly impossible to achieve because it lacks the details you need to accomplish it. Not being able to achieve the resolution is going to leave you unfulfilled. When you make your resolutions add as much detail as you can, what are the goals and objectives for the resolution. What are your resolutions goals? You should know! Creating goals & objectives adds depth to your resolutions, it will help you visualize the steps required and give you some confidence that you can accomplish the resolution.

4)     Limit your Resolutions – It’s easy to say that this is the year I will turn all my inadequacies into strengths. It’s a great concept but most likely you have spent decades living this way and chances are that you won’t make the change over night. You’ll need to figure out what is possible to accomplish, then list and stack rank your resolutions - focus on highest priority ones you know you can accomplish. If you have not been able to accomplish your resolutions, then perhaps you should focus on just one resolution this coming year. The following year you can do two or three.

5)     Step-by-Step Plan – With a list of resolutions that are realistic for you, resolutions you have a high degree of confidence in achieving, the next step is to create the step-by-step plan needed to accomplish your resolutions. The good news is that there are a number of systems already created that can help you accomplish resolutions. Systems are all around us, most will cost money, but if they can help are worth it. An example if you have a resolution to lose weight, systems exist such as Jenny Craig, Weight watchers or you could ask someone who has successfully achieved this resolution. Once you’ve found the perfect resolution, identify the step-by-step plans or systems to help you achieve the resolution.

I love the idea of New Years resolutions; it’s the time of year when you can focus on making your life better. New years resolutions are a great way to help you create and realize goals that will help you have a happy, healthy and successful life, and what better time than at the start of a new year. Keep in mind that resolutions can be difficult to stick with and accomplish. As a result when you’re creating your resolutions pick ones that are realistic for you. Also keep in mind that it takes more than a resolution, it will take a solid plan.

Happy New Years & Good Luck With Your Resolutions!

John M. Hawkins