Revisit your New Year’s Intentions with a Strategy to keep you going all year long

Why is it that New Year’s resolutions are so hard to keep? Are you one of those who make lovely, enthusiastic goals to launch you into the New Year, just to find yourself slipping back comfortably into your old ways? I know that for me, a new year always raises my spirits with a promise for new beginnings! But I’m with you—my New Year’s goals are consistently hard to keep. So this year I am trying to remember a few things that have helped me to be successful in keeping my goals and staying strong throughout the year.

First of all, when selecting an achievable goal, you must consider whether or not you can honestly stick to the goal you are setting out to reach—this is huge! When you start to make goals that encompass too many ideals of perfectionism, it begins to become a problem. Your hopes in keeping them dwindle quickly and your goal becomes farther out of sight than ever. I have gotten so discouraged on numerous occasions and inevitably begin to doubt why I decide to make goals in the first place. The problem is not in making the goals, but in striving for perfection and over-reaching when selecting your next step to a better you.

Here are my tips for setting the right goals for you and how to keep them while you’re at it:

*Set five long-term goals that you know in your heart of hearts will have an end in sight. Visualize yourself achieving these goals. You want to push yourself to be a better version of yourself, but be realistic—how much time and effort are you willing to give to the future you?

*Break down each of these goals—how can you make them happen? What are the smaller steps and goals that help you take the necessary steps upward? I suggest making small weekly and monthly goals that you can accomplish to get you just a little closer to the larger picture.

* Reward yourself each month when you check off the smaller components of your goal. My husband has been helping with this one—he actually wraps up a gift and leaves it wrapped on our front table so that I see it daily, reminding me that there is always a reward for my hard efforts. This does wonders in keeping me motivated and moving forward each day.

Your reward doesn’t have to be a physical gift, however. I am equally motivated by my favorite flavor of ice cream or a fun bowling night with my husband or family. A good movie date with my mom will get me checking boxes off my list like nothing else! Whatever it is, small and simple or a well-deserved larger celebration for those big mile markers, just make sure it motivates you and reminds you how amazing your accomplishments and contributions to those life-changing shifts really are.

These few steps to making your larger goals come to life has helped me immensely in evolving my business and I continue to move forward because I am constantly making smaller, reasonable goals! I’d love to hear some of your goals for the new year. Please comment below and let me know how you plan to spend the year working proactively to step into your new life—revamped!