How to make and keep New Year’s resolutions

Resolutions and bucket list items are great, but they can get overwhelming. I’m sure we’ve all made a ton of resolutions that we didn’t end up keeping. This week, I’ll be sharing a few keys in setting yourself up for success in your resolutions.

Last year, my resolutions were very ambitious. Although I did a good amount of them, I was often overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start.

So how about we focus on a few things that we REALLY want, rather than a bunch of things we kind of want? My motto going into 2019 is “Step up or step out”. Meaning you must be willing to work hard and make sacrifices if you really want something.

 

Example from my life:

Do: One of my commitments is addressing my makeup addiction that has gotten out of hand.

Don’t: I want to start exercising again, and eating healthier, and waking up early. But I also kind of want to do X, Y, and Z, and learn A, B, and C. Gosh, there’s so much I want to do!

 

 

So we’ve defined a few things we REALLY want. Now we must define how much effort we’re willing to put in. We also need to be specific in our goals so we know when we’ve reached them.

Remember, we’re challenging ourselves. But we also need to set ourselves up for success. Be honest with yourself in terms of what you can or cannot do. It’s better to set a slightly challenging goal and reach it than to set a herculean or a very vague goal and end up not doing anything at all.

 

Example from my life:

Do: I want to address my makeup/beauty hoarding habits. For the first six months of the year, I will not buy a single product unless I am out of it.

Don’t: I’m going to buy less makeup this year! I need to keep myself in check!

Also Don’t: I will go this whole year without buying any makeup!

 

 

Ah my favorite part! Sometimes, we need a little extra incentive to get things done. If you’re setting yourself a reward, remember that the reward must be something big to treat yo’ self to. It has to be generous enough that you’d feel guilty if you treated yourself to without reaching your goal.

If you’re setting a punishment for yourself if you don’t reach a goal, you need to be hard on yourself. The punishment has to be scare you enough that you’re not tempted to cheat yourself.

 

Example from my life:

My punishment: If I cave and buy even one beauty-related item I don’t need, I will throw all of my products in the trash no matter how expensive they were. Then, I will go to the dollar store with $10, and that is all I get to replace all my products.

My friend’s reward: If I reach my target weight, I will get the hair makeover that I’ve been wanting for several months now.

 

Happy goal-setting and good luck!

Hugs and kisses,

~Jin

You can also find me on my personal blog