Writing New Year’s Resolutions for Success

Were last year’s New Year’s resolutions no success and all struggle?  Perhaps it’s not lack of motivation but how you keep writing your New Year’s resolutions that caused your goals to flop.  Make this January 1st count by writing your New Year’s resolution for success and not for show.

Write the New Year’s Resolution as an Action

Skip the “I will” and “I’m going to” part.  Make the resolution a command.  Begin the sentence with an action verb so that you are called to act on the resolution now.

Here are some examples:

• Run one marathon
• Organize my closet
• Call my parents every weekend

Write the New Year’s Resolution with Specifics

Vague statements like “lose weight” and “spend less” are harder to achieve than “lose 30 pounds this year” and “spend $400 less each month.”  The latter resolutions are concrete goals with target numbers and deadlines.  Detail the resolution with specific dates and figures so that you have something to work towards everyday.

Here are some examples:

• Cook one meal each day with at least four fruits and/or vegetables
• Volunteer at the library for two hours once a week
• Practice the violin 3-4PM everyday

Write the New Year’s Resolution Where Success is in Your Control

Goals like “get a boyfriend” and “gain mom’s approval” and “make my boyfriend lose weight” are a setup for failure or embarrassment.  You can’t force someone to like you, and you can’t make goals for others to achieve.  But these desires shouldn’t be ignored.  Ask yourself what you can do to make yourself happier in your life so that these goals are not desirable anymore.

Write the New Year’s Resolution with Steps

This is crucial for big resolutions.  Big goals won’t be achieved in one step, or even in one day.  Take notes on how to get from A to B, and write as many steps as necessary to get to your final goal.

Here’s how to get from A to B:

• Write out every incremental action needed to achieve the New Year’s resolution
• Organize each action in progressing order
• Designate each action for a specific span of time.  You might have deadlines for the first of every month, the start of every week, or even each day.
• Write out the goals on a calendar or a schedule.

Write the New Year’s Resolution Daily

One of the most common reasons why New Year’s resolutions aren’t successful is because the resolution is forgotten by Groundhog Day.  Write the New Year’s resolution daily on your to-do list, document your progress in a journal, write it on your calendar, email yourself and your friends the resolution in bold font–anything that will keep the New Year’s resolution at the front of your mind.  Writing it out once and posting it might not be as effective to those that tend to tune out pre-set reminders.

What are your New Year’s resolutions?  How will you achieve them this year?