With 2019 right around the corner, people around the world are getting ready to begin their New Year’s resolutions. New year’s resolutions can range from quitting smoking to incorporating exercise into your lifestyle. While there are countless resolutions that are made each year, many people find it difficult to maintain the same motivation after the excitement of the new year is passed. To help stick to your new year’s resolution, I outline some tips on how to not only find a new year’s resolution that is realistic but on how to stick to it.

Don’t Be Afraid To Start Small
For many Americans, incorporating exercise is one of their top priorities and resolutions, whether to help them lose weight or to just learn to have a more active lifestyle overall. To help maintain the resolution without burning out, start at an attainable goal. For example, a person who has never consistently exercised should start by going to the gym twice a week for at least 30 minutes. In doing this, the body will have time to recover from the gym session and does not seem overwhelming. Over time, slowly begin to increase both the frequency that you workout, and the duration of each workout. Slowly incorporating exercise into your schedule can reduce the chances of burning out before your body can adjust to it.

Set A Resolution And Plan Out How To Stick To It
Like most lifestyle changes, a new year’s resolution is often a significant change from what one is used to, and it can be difficult to adjust. To reduce this, it can be helpful to map out a plan of how you can stay committed as the year moves forward. Going back to the example with adding exercise, create a calendar that includes small milestones, and the plan that you have to achieve each milestone. Additionally, the steps could be actions that help support your goal. For example, listing daily goals like drinking enough water or trying a new healthy meal. By having a plan prepared, it may feel more manageable to reach the final goal.

New year’s resolutions are often both exciting and intimidating, so it is important to approach it as a long-term process. Additionally, make sure to remember that most resolutions will involve a longer, more proactive effort, so you should be prepared for a long-term commitment. As we finish up another great year, let’s make sure to begin this new year on a good note!