This will be the year I stick to my New Year’s Resolution.  You say that every single year, right?  It seems like every year I come up with a resolution only to kick it to the curb before January is even over.

This year, I decided to try something different & it has helped me want to stick to my goal.

Here’s some tips on how to stick to that resolution:

1.  Pick a goal that you actually want to make.  You can pick something along the lines of, “cook dinner at home every night,” but if you pick it because it sounds good instead of being something you really want to accomplish, chances are that resolution won’t stick.
2. Make sure it’s attainable.  Sure, we would all love to win the lottery by the end of the year, but is that really attainable?  Probably not.  Make sure your goal is something that you truly believe is practical.
3. Write it down in ink.  This one was super important for me.  The moment I wrote it down in ink, it was there for good.  It made me take a look at what I had in writing & know it couldn’t be erased.
4. Tell someone about your resolution or goal.  Writing it down in ink let me know that I couldn’t erase that goal, but telling my spouse about my goal made it real.  When you say it out loud to someone, you give yourself the confidence boost to maintain that goal.  Now that someone else knows, you not only have a support system, but an accountability partner.
5. Give yourself credit.  Also very important.  There are going to be times where you may get down on yourself because you’re not exactly where you want to be with your goal.  But, giving yourself credit for even coming up with a goal and trying is so important.
6. Start with small steps.  Say your goal is to lose 30 pounds.  Don’t think that because you worked out & ate well for a week, those pounds will vanish (believe me, I’ve already tried it).  Start small & work your way up.  You don’t want to get burned out in the first week of your resolution – that’s why many of them don’t last!

Remember, a resolution doesn’t need to be set in stone on January 1st.

There’s no locked in time on when you need to start or finish a resolution or goal.  Starting with a resolution, whether it’s January 1st or September 1st, is the first step to taking the actions to achieve something wonderful in your life!