New Year's Resolutions: The Only Checklist You Will Need To Get Them Right This Time!

Ringing in a new year gives us a great opportunity to start fresh, so for those who believe in resolutions, now is the time to get them done for real. January 1 is always a good moment to get going because most feel motivated, and even though these promises are very personal, there are tricks and shortcuts to make sure you’re able to stick to them this year. One of the most important rules about resolutions that stick is specificity; you can have one for each aspect of your life you want to improve, and they have to make sense with your lifestyle and personality.

1. Divide and conquer: It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when there’s many aspects of your life you want to improve, but don’t fret; divide your life into the following aspects: love life, health, nutrition, finances, culture, social life, family, paperwork/legal stuff, living space, friendships, work, and spiritual life.

2. Write measurable goals: Resolutions are more achievable when they’re measurable, so say for example you pick culture; go deep and resolve to read 6 books and visit at least 4 new museums the following year. This will most likely motivate you to reach your goals.

3. Pick strategies: The ‘how’ in achieving these promises is key. If you decide you want to eat healthier next year, that’s great, but how you’re going to achieve that is the most important part. Think of ways that are not too drastic to begin with and stick to them until they become a habit; for example, decide you’re going to have smoothies for breakfast 3 times a week and do meatless Mondays and Thursdays.

4. Keep them handy: Writing your resolutions on the 31^st in a notepad, you will never see again, won’t work. Put them down in the back of your 2016 agenda, notebook, calendar, or whatever it is you use, so when you feel like you’re losing sight of them, you can quickly go back and remind yourself what it is you want for yourself during the year.

5. Always keep them real: Unrealistic goals don’t just go someplace and die; they make you lose faith in yourself for years to come and linger in the back of our heads, reminding us of what we didn’t achieve. So, know yourself and be honest when writing your goals. They can be super small and simple, as long as they’re what we need. Happy New Year!