New Year’s Resolutions: 14 Ideas to Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

As we are move towards the end of the year, the topic of New Year’s Resolutions starts to find its way back in to conversations. We begin to reflect on a year that was and look forward with enthusiasm and hope to a year of endless possibilities. I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, as I prefer to plan, develop habits and manage my life all year round (not just around a New Year!). However, if you are in to New Year’s resolution, I have the following 14 ideas can help make them stick!

 

New Year’s Resolutions: 14 Ideas to Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

Have you stuck to your New Year’s Resolutions this year or are you still wanting to make similar changes? If you are wanting to make some changes, I hope the following ideas, habits and routines can help!

1. Be Honest and Accept Yourself Unconditionally –

Yes it is time to be honest and accept yourself for who you are – who you truly are in this moment (especially in regards to your New Year’s Resolution/s). Accepting yourself unconditionally (yes whole-heartedly with imperfections)- means accepting situations, people and even your health – yes everything just the way it is. This doesn’t mean you have to like the way things are, it just means having a deep acceptance for them now and being responsible (which is number 2). Having deep acceptance for ourselves is important because many times we can waste a lot of energy and time denying and resisting what is already here because we are trying to force things to be the way we want them. When we do resist life from the way it can actually prevent positive change from taking place.

For example – if you are single and feel bad about not being in a relationship, it is not very useful to wait to like and look after yourself until you are in a relationship. Because sooner or later you will realize that the only time is now and the only time to start loving and accepting yourself is now! Remember acceptance does not mean that you have to like everything the way it is or that you have to agree with everything or change your values. Acceptance is about seeing things as they really are.

2. BE 100% Responsible –

Being 100% responsible for where you are in relation to the New Year’s Resolution you are setting. Yes I mean total responsibility in that area of your life (and hopefully all areas of your life).

Taking responsibility means no blaming people or justifying why things are the way they are. I know this may sound challenging, however even when things have happened in my life that I felt were not my fault, I learned later after the situation I had something to learn or be reminded about from those experiences.

3. Commit 100% –

In order to have those New Year’s Resolutions stick you have to be committed and you have to be 100% committed. Because your authentic self is the one that is in control of your happiness and health and the one that takes action. Are you 100% committed to your New Year’s Resolutions? Yes – fantastic! I wish you all of the happiness, success and well-being in the world. As Dr. Wayne Dyer quoted: “It’s never crowded along the extra mile.”

4. Learn from Past Experiences –

Remember the quote by Albert Einstein – “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new”? This took me a while to get used to “in the real world”, because like many people, I have perfectionistic traits! I was alright when I was playing tennis as I would make quite a few mistakes in a match and learn from them, however I struggled with this in the “real world” and this prevented me from trying new things for a while.

Fortunately, I have learned from those now and am more than happy to make mistakes whilst learning, however I also observe others a lot and study people so I can learn from them and try and help prevent unnecessary mistakes in the future. I have made a conscious decision for myself that when I learn something new I take action on the new learning within 5 minutes. That action could be anything from writing the learning down to ringing someone. The most important thing for me is to take conscious action, as I want to make sure that I learn from my experiences and the experiences of other people, so I can continue to be myself and leave behind my contribution.

5. Change Your Mind and Be Flexible –

Have you ever been in a situation when you were going to do something and then someone gave you a bit more information and then you changed your mind? Well the good news is that it’s perfectly OK to do so. There is a saying – “Flexible people don’t get bent out of shape” and one of the things I have been reminded about is that we don’t have to know all of the details to get started, we just have to take the first step!

6. Recognise Change is Constant –

As human beings we are continually changing. If we look close enough, every moment is changing and a great example of this is in this video. As George Bernard Shaw said – “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”  and  Dr Wayne Dyer – “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

7. Focus on One Change at a Time –

Quite often we want to make a lot of changes in our work and life at the one time (as we are unhappy or in pain). However, a few days or weeks after the New Year, we can start to feel overwhelmed and wonder why we haven’t stuck to our New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe it is better to start taking small steps and focus on one habit or behaviour change at a time and then build up over time? Think of it like the Penny doubled story and compound interest – “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it.” – Albert Einstein

8. Have Some FUN! –

Yes fun! Are your New Year’s Resolutions linked to fun and in-joyment? If not, how can you enjoy doing them?

9. Clear Out the Clutter –

Is there any clutter in your home, office, car or environment? If so, maybe it is time to clear it out and let go of the things in your life that no longer serve you? Clutter in your life has been linked to stress and it can also distract you from taking action. If your wardrobe is an area you would like to clear out, click here!

10. Give Unconditionally –

Have you ever noticed how good you feel when you are able to do something for someone else – whether that is giving your time, money or even just authentically listening to someone. Please remember this is about giving to give and not giving to get, as this is very different. Why not grab a pen and identify 10 ways you can give something this week and then notice how good you feel!

11. Learn to Trust Yourself –

Have you ever heard the phone ring and knew who was on the other end before you answered it? Have you ever been in a situation where someone has told you not to do something, however you knew you just had to do it (of course it was ecological – i.e. good for you, good for others and good for the planet). Well that is what I am talking about – really trusting yourself and your intuition. Where would we be if Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson didn’t trust themselves? We would definitely not be living in the world that we are today without their contributions.

“Trust means not having to have a particular result, but rather, knowing that whatever results is for our highest good.” – Neale Donald Walsch. How can you start to trust yourself more as you move towards your New Year’s Resolutions?

12. Nourish Your Body

Nourishing your body through eating the correct nutritional food and drinking enough water is also important for achieving your New Year’s Resolutions. When you tune in to your body, it tells you what it enjoys and what it needs, however quite often we are just too busy and don’t hear the messages. You will know if this is an area that needs attention in your life and I encourage you to look after your body as it really is an amazing machine.

13. Move Your Body

Being active and exercising is very much an individual thing and not every sport or physical activity is going to suit everyone. It is important to find out what you enjoy and then incorporate physical movement into your life. If you haven’t moved for a while, make sure you seek medical advice before starting up a physical activity program to check on your health and readiness. Once your health has been checked, find something that you really enjoy doing and that suits your level of fitness and mobility. For example – you may enjoy dancing, yoga or even paddle boarding. What ever it is – enjoy moving your body!

14. Be Consistent –

With the habits and ideas I have shared, we need to make sure we are consistent when implementing them. If I look back on my journey to happiness and well-being it has taken consistent action and commitment to be in the space I am in now and I need to continue to be consistent in my life. Remember – “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

 

If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and opening your heart, why not join our Toolkit?

Comments are closed.