How to plan and achieve realistic New Year’s resolutions

In my last blog post, we spoke about reasons behind making New Year’s resolutions. This time around, I want to touch on how to make New Year’s resolutions that we can actually achieve (which I also spoke about in my latest YouTube video). Yes, I did say that I normally don’t make New Year’s resolutions. However, I’ve had a a few tries at planning and working toward goals, and I can assure you my general process for fulfilling my intentions can be translated easily to a New Year’s resolution plan because they are ultimately the same thing. Without further adieu, let’s begin. 

First and foremost, make whatever goal you want to achieve attainable. Don’t underestimate yourself, but try to be realistic. Like I said in the video, the point of a resolution isn’t meant to stress you out. It’s supposed to motivate you to reach a target that makes you feel fulfilled by the year’s end.

So, how do you set a goal that seems digestible? Be honest with yourself and don’t bite off more than you can chew. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to post three times per month on YouTube. This may sound odd because there’s about four weeks in a month, so it would make more sense to just post once each week. However, I really thought about my schedule and how I spend my time. I concluded that posting on YouTube three times a month is still pushing myself, but it won’t run me into the ground. 

Once you have a goal or goals, then you can start tackling them. It’s important that you don’t do it all at once, though. If you have a hefty goal in mind, try breaking it down into parts. For instance, I won’t write “film a YouTube video” on my to-do list. Instead, I will write out all of the steps it takes to film and post a video and set deadlines for each part. This allows me to visualize the process from start to finish, set the appropriate amount of time aside for each step, and see my progress as I work towards the planned result. 

This two-step process is how I run by day-to-day life. It really keeps me organized with my tasks at hand and allows me to map out a plan for success. I think if you can come up with a regular routine that holds you accountable like the one outlined above, you’ll have no issues reaching your desired end result. There are a few more tips I think anyone could benefit from, so let’s take a look. 

Reward Yourself

I recently read Bobby Bones’ Fail Until You Don’t, and he shared some insight about how he deals with both his setbacks and successes. Regardless of a positive or negative outcome, he allows himself to feel whatever emotion he needs to feel for a set period of time. If he wants to be sad about a setback, he gives himself an allotted amount of time to sulk. He also plans rewards to celebrate his successes. For you, maybe a reward could look like purchasing the Lululemon leggings you’ve been eyeing once you have completed three months of yoga every day or a new camera once you booked your fifth client. Regardless of what your rewards or failure reflections looks like to you, it’s important to learn, grow, and keep moving forward.

Plan for Obstacles

While we want everything to go smoothly, life is extremely unpredictable. Right before I moved back to New Jersey from Los Angeles, I was working on a mindset course that guides people as they work towards their goals and offers tips along the way. The biggest thing I took away from the course is to plan time for setbacks. When I started the course, I didn’t plan on moving across the country. Now, I would have never (nor do I expect anyone to) have planned for an obstacle like that. However, the experience taught me that it is so important to foreshadow something coming in and changing your plans. By doing this, you’re able to utilize your plan of action, bounce back, and continue on your path to success.   

Talk it Out

One reason I made a video about my New Year’s resolutions is because putting my goals out in the open holds me much more accountable than if I keep them to myself. A lot of advice I have read suggests having an “accountability buddy,” but do you really expect someone to keep track of your progress throughout the year when they have a million of their own things to worry about? I’d rather put it out there for all to see because I will be quite embarrassed at the end of 2021 if I don’t keep up with my goals. Regardless, pick a route that works best for you, but remember, no one can get you to do it besides yourself!

Forgive Yourself

As I said earlier, the point of a New Year’s resolution is not to stress yourself out and in return make the year miserable. I just wanted to write this little tidbit as a reminder to be kind to yourself. Slip ups happen. Heck, I even added “cheat days” into my “do your skincare routine every day” bullet on my list. Why? Life is unpredictable. Setbacks happen. Some days you might just not feel mentally prepared to work towards your goal. Regardless, as long as you are putting in the good ‘ole fashioned try, don’t be too hard on yourself. 

Commit Yourself 

At the end of the day, you set your New Year’s resolution for a reason, so stick to it. Like I said, no one can make you work toward your goal except for you. Allow room for obstacles and don’t make yourself miserable, but push yourself to be the version of yourself you want to see at the end of the year. If this motivates you, it can take anywhere from 18 days to a whole year to form a habit, so there’s no better time like the present! You’ve got this. 

Feel free to check out my New Year’s resolutions and tips on goal setting in my YouTube video: