20 Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

A new year; a new you! We’ve all resolved to get rid of bad habits, learn good habits and change things for the better come the New Year, only to fall back into our old patterns within days. This year, your most important New Year’s resolution should be to stick to all the others you make. Of course, it’s easier said than done but these 20 tips will help you keep your New Year’s resolutions and save some money in 2017!

1. Make Your Resolutions About Something You Really Want

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1. Make Your Resolutions About Something You Really Want

Stick to something that you really want, rather than something you think you should want or that others want for you.

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2. Be Specific

Avoid vague resolutions such as “I’m going to get into shape this year.” Instead, as Forbes suggests, be specific about how you’d want to achieve that wider, vaguer goal. For example, say, "I’m going to walk five kilometres every day."

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3. Keep Things Simple

Psych Central points out that trying to overhaul your entire life is a recipe for disappointment and even guilt. Instead, stick to simple goals that are easier to focus on.

4. Limit the Number of Resolutions You Make

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4. Limit the Number of Resolutions You Make

It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you make too many resolutions. Bankrate.com says that when you limit your list of resolutions to a number that you can handle, you’ll be able to focus on really achieving those goals.

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5. Choose Meaningful Goals

When you choose your goals, you should go for the ones that will have the greatest impact on your happiness, your health and your sense of fulfillment. Resolutions that aren’t meaningful are easier to break.

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6. Be Realistic

While it’s good to push yourself, setting unrealistic goals will just set you up for failure and may even lead to depression. Set realistic, achievable goals. For example, instead of trying to save a huge amount of money, resolve to set aside a small amount every month and it will eventually add up.

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7. Set Goals That You Can Measure

Forbes suggests that you set goals that you can measure. For example, say "I want to save $2,500 so I can go on a trip in December." When you can measure your goals, it will be easier to track your progress.

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8. Track Your Progress

Regularly track your progress to see how close you are to achieving your goal. If you can measure it, it will be easier to make changes when you need to. It will also motivate you when you can see how far you’ve come already.

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9. Exercise Self-Control

The more you exercise self-control, the easier it will become. For example, the health website WebMD cites an experiment in which people who had to avoid sweets had more success in giving up smoking than those who didn’t have to fulfill an extra task that required self-control.

10. Break up Your Goal Into Smaller Goals

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10. Break up Your Goal Into Smaller Goals

When you set your goal, work out an action plan that consists of smaller goals. Small acts of willpower will be easier to achieve. For example, to save $2,600 by December, set aside $50 every week.

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11. Automate

When it’s possible, automate your financial goals. For example, start a special savings account like a TFSA and set up an automatic debit to pay a certain amount directly into this account.

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12. Tell Others About Your Resolutions

You don’t have to tell the entire world about your resolutions, but it’s important to share your goals with a few trusted friends or family members. As Forbes says, having people to support you will make it easier to successfully stick to your goals.

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13. Keep Your Spirits up

If your willpower starts wavering, do something that puts you in a good mood, like watching a funny movie. WebMD says that this will help you exercise self-control again.

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14. Drink Orange Juice or Lemonade

When you have to exercise self-restraint and stifle your feelings, your blood glucose levels drop. To give your brain the energy it needs and to replenish your self-control, have a glass of real orange juice or lemonade.

15. Keep a Visual Reminder of Your Goals

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15. Keep a Visual Reminder of Your Goals

A visual reminder of your goals will help motivate you. Psych Central suggests that you write down your goals and the reasons for these in a notebook and add photographs or other visual reminders.

For example, if you want to lose some extra pounds, add pictures of you when you were slimmer to remind you that you can look that great again.

16. Remind Yourself of How Much You’ve Already Accomplished

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16. Remind Yourself of How Much You’ve Already Accomplished

You’ve probably already done hundreds or even thousands of things that required self-discipline. WebMD suggests that you make a list of 100 things you’ve already accomplished and are proud of, including what seems like small things like getting out of bed even when you don’t want to.

This will remind you of how much willpower you actually have.

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17. Fit It Into Your Schedule

It’s easy to say you can’t achieve your goals because you don’t have the time to focus on them. Forbes suggests that you fit your goals into your schedule and make them a priority.

For example, set aside an hour or two on Sunday afternoons to review your budget and see what you need to change in order to save money.

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18. Reward Yourself

When you achieve a milestone on the path to reaching your goal, give yourself a reward. This will help keep you motivated. However, as Psych Central says, don’t go for rewards that could endanger your goal.

For example, don’t blow $100 on a pair of shoes because you’ve managed to save $200 in the past month.

19. If You Can’t Do It All, at Least Do Something

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19. If You Can’t Do It All, at Least Do Something

Sometimes life throws things at you that will make it harder to focus on your goals. When this happens, do what you can rather than not doing anything at all, Forbes says. If, for instance, you can’t save $200 this month because you have to get your car fixed, save whatever small amount you can.

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20. Don’t Give up When You Slip up

It’s completely human to slip up, but as Forbes points out, this doesn’t give you an excuse to give up. If you’ve cheated on your diet by having some chocolate, recommit to eating healthy food instead of saying, "I’ve cheated already so I might as well have that pizza too."