How to Make Your New Year’s Resolution Work

Whether you make resolutions for long-term better wellness or one-off goals, whether you do it half-heartedly or with real intent, New Year’s seems to be the time to do it. However, the wellbeing of your resolutions depends entirely on their specificity and achievability.       

1)      Join a gym – Everyone seems to find their way to the gym after Christmas, but come Easter the gym is emptier than your bank balance.  Getting fit is a great goal but it requires a long-term plan. Start slowly with easy or moderate exercises like walking and increase it as you get fitter. You might find later on that you can benefit from a gym membership, but that’s something to investigate later.

2)      Go on a diet – The term ‘on a diet’ just sets you up to fall off of it again. Again, think more long-term with a lifestyle and lifetime change, not something you’re going to quit again soon or else your weight will yo-yo all over the place.

3)      Spend more time with family and friends – Family wellness is a great goal but few people manage it. The thought is a nice one, but too vague for a life spent running errands, doing chores, and earning a living. Get specific and put family time on your ‘to do’ list. Have a games night, a scheduled day out with a friend, or even a one-off party for the whole family. No matter how often you manage it, just get it on the calendar!

4)      Get organized – This resolution needs to be broken down into stages or else you’ll give up in frustration. Make a list of all the things in all the rooms and places that need organising and a set amount of time to do each thing. The little bit of progress you make each time is better than doing nothing at all, and you may find it spurs you on to do a little bit more.

5)      Stop being stressed – This is something you’ll never achieve altogether, but you need to identify and reduce your key stressors. If you can’t remove them all, relax with physical exercise, massage, meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, martial arts like tai chi, music and professional counselling or therapy.

These are just 5 commonly made resolutions but there are loads more than could benefit from a little bit of rewriting. Stop smoking and drinking by getting medical advice and looking online. If you want to sort out your finances, download a good computer programme, set a budget and maybe consider asking an accountant. If you want a new job, make sure you know what you are willing to do, what you can offer and, most importantly, what you want to do. Finally, if you want to travel or volunteer, start looking at viable options online right now and write down which things you want to pursue. Make this year your year.