Are you still sticking to your New Year’s resolutions? It’s OK to be honest if you’re not.
If you’ve made it a few weeks into the new year and have already fallen off the wagon, you’re not alone. Many people are in the same boat as you. It’s easy to come up with a goal. The hard part is sticking to it.
Here’s the problem: You need to make a plan. A specific plan. Here are some tips.
1. The first thing to consider is how important your goal is to you. Are you willing to prioritize it? As much as we may want to throw ourselves into what we’re passionate about in the moment, you still have responsibilities that take precedence over everything else.
2. Set reasonable expectations. Sometimes we set high expectations for ourselves that we know we can’t reach, yet we still get disappointed when we fall short. Know what you’re capable of and acknowledge your limits.
3. How patient are you? We’ve gotten so used to fast results and instant gratification that we forget to be patient with ourselves. It’s OK if you don’t instantly reap the benefits. A goal that requires work and dedication also requires you to put time into it.
4. Most importantly, you have to be realistic. How many days a week do you work? How many classes do you take? How much time can you put aside to work on keeping your resolution? If you are absolutely sure that you not only want to but can accomplish your goal over the course of a year, then that means making space for it.
Many college students have jobs outside of school and don’t take into account how little time they actually have. Working out four times a week is admirable but ultimately might not be realistic when it comes to juggling a full course load and life outside of school.
This doesn’t have to mean completely clearing your schedule and neglecting school, work and whatever life throws your way. But it may mean something like cutting back on watching TV or (gasp!) spending less time on social media.
Knowing your schedule and your conflicts allows you to be able to evaluate how much room you have for working toward your goal and what you can rearrange to make that happen.
The good thing is that it’s not too late to get back on track to attaining your goal. The key is all in the details.
Once you have a plan that is tailored to your day-to-day life, you can begin to work toward your goal and eventually reach to accomplish it.