Ah, the start of a new year! Time to make changes! Improve our lives! At least until we hit that first hurdle on Jan. 2…

Creating New Year’s resolutions is easy. Sticking to them is not. Whether your goal is to lose weight, drink more water, save more money, or spend more time with family, you’re going to need help! No matter what your 2015 New Year’s resolutions are, this is my advice to you:

• Write down your goals. I’m talking about good old fashioned pen and paper here! There is something about the act of writing and your brain seeing those words in print. It makes those resolutions real.
• Make your resolutions as specific as possible. Don’t simply say you’re going to exercise more. Write down a plan for how much exercise you want to add to your life. How many minutes per week will be your minimum? How many days per week will you exercise to reach that total number of minutes? Be sure to include something you can track as progress toward your goals (more on that later).
• Post your goals and plans where you can see them every day. You can even create a vision board. Glue your hand-written goals and plans to a poster board (or sheet of construction paper for something smaller). Find pictures that inspire you in old magazines. Cut them out, and glue those images on the poster board around your goal. Perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions is to save up money for a vacation. If so, include a picture of your dream vacation destination on your vision board. Seeing your goals and plans – and inspirational pictures if you choose to add them – will keep your resolutions fresh on your mind.
• Share your resolutions with friends and family. Make sure your family knows your goals and plans, and ask them to support you. If your resolutions include avoiding desserts, ask your family to not bring sweets into the house to tempt you.
• Find someone with similar resolutions to be your accountability buddy. Check in with each other daily to make sure you’re both on track. You may be surprised by how many struggles you share, and you can get through them together! You can take this a step further and join a support group. I have a great group on Facebook right now where we are sharing the new healthy habits we want to build in January 2015. Sharing resolutions with a group then checking in with the group each day is a great way to stay focused on your goals. You’re welcome to join us! You can find my group here.
• Track your progress toward your goals. If your resolution is to lose weight, then step on the scales once a week. Record whatever number it tells you, even if you don’t like it! Also check your measurements once a month. You may be shrinking even if the scales don’t show much progress! If your goal is to create a new habit (like mine is to take a multivitamin every day), then tracking progress can be as simple as a check mark on a calendar. I’ve been told it takes 21 days of repeating the same behavior to create a new habit. I’m going to track all 31 days of January in hopes of those extra ten days sealing the vitamin habit into my brain.
• Reward yourself. If you have one big goal for 2015 – losing 40 pounds, for example – then reward yourself for milestones along the way. For every ten pounds lost, treat yourself to a pedicure or a new shirt (NOT a giant cookie). Then when you reach the big goal, give yourself a bigger reward – like a whole new outfit with shoes, accessories, and everything! Plan ahead and know what your rewards will be to help push yourself toward each step along the way.

I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year and all the best for 2015! I hope my advice helps you stick to your resolutions and reach your goals! If you’re willing to share, I’d love to know what your resolutions are! You can share by leaving a reply below.

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