25 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions and Achieve Your Goals

Tired of those New Year resolutions falling to the wayside after just a few weeks? Or setting the same resolutions year after year but never making progress? Here are 25 ways to keep your New Year’s resolutions so that you can finally achieve your goals!

New year, new start…

I don’t know about you but I absolutely LOVE the feeling of a fresh start that each January brings!

For me, a new year means new possibilities, new choices and new hope for the future. We get to wipe the slate clean, forget about whatever didn’t go so great last year and focus on all the fun and exciting things we want to accomplish going forward instead.

Every one of us wants to make a change for the better one way or another and the goals we set in January always seem so much more manageable than any other time of the year.

Why?

Because each new year is like the start of a whole new chapter of our lives! And for most of us, it’s when we set our New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions that we hope will make it easier for us to accomplish our goals.

Thing is though, no matter how great we start our year off, no matter how motivated and determined we might be, sooner or later, that motivation and determination to accomplish our goals starts to wane and despite best efforts, those resolutions fall to the wayside.

So, what can we do to stop that from happening?

Here’s how to not give up and how to keep new year’s resolutions and achieve your goals in 2021!

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25 ways to keep New Year’s resolutions…

#1. Keep It Simple Sweetie.

One of my favourite acronyms, the KISS method will help you ensure you don’t get carried away by setting resolutions that you have absolutely no chance of fulfilling. Keep your resolutions simple and you’ll be far more likely to stick to them and achieve your goals.

#2. Choose your resolutions carefully.

Picking resolutions that you think you ‘should’ do just because everyone else is doing them is guaranteed to set yourself up for failure. Make sure your resolutions are related to something you truly want to change instead.

#3. Be realistic.

You might want to lose 25 pounds in a week, but it’s not going to happen is it? There’s no way anyone could lose that amount of weight in such a short space of time – although it would be great if we could. We can wish, right?! So, make sure you’re being realistic. Evaluate what you want and set realistic expectations – and timeframes – for accomplishing it.

#4. Make your resolutions public.

One surefire way to keep new year’s resolutions? Telling your friends and family about them! Sharing your goals with those around you makes them feel real and firms your intention to accomplish them. And if you want additional accountability and you’re feeling brave, you could even share your progress on social media too!

#5. Set yourself up for success.

Take some time to read about ways to succeed in making the changes you want to make. Educating yourself will help you avoid pitfalls and better understand what you to expect as you work to achieve your goals.

#6. Avoid the same old resolutions.

You might still want to lose the 10lbs you promised yourself you’d lose this time last year but try to set a different resolution this year. A resolution that will still give you the same results but make you feel like you’re not setting the same resolution year after year – like choosing to exercise 3 times a week instead.

#7. Break it down.

Want to keep those new year’s resolutions? Baby steps are the way to go! Rather than focusing on one big change, break your resolutions into smaller, more manageable bite-sized changes that you can track and accomplish more easily.

#8. Create a plan of action.

Once you know the steps you need to take to fulfill your new year’s resolution, create a plan of action. Map out the steps so that you know what you need to do first and then what’s next. Plan each step in advance and it’ll be a lot easier to keep the momentum going and achieve your goals.

#9. Don’t expect results right away.

It’s tempting to expect to see results right away but change doesn’t happen overnight. Know that it takes time to develop habits and behaviours. Be patient with yourself. Expect gradual results as opposed to immediate ones and you’ll be far more likely to follow through.

#10. Don’t stress yourself out!

All types of change – including good change – can be stressful. Stepping out of our comfort zones, even if it’s for the greater good can cause stress and anxiety. If you find yourself starting to feel stressed and overwhelmed, remind yourself of why you chose that resolution and try not to let your stress get the better of you.

#11. Find an accountability partner.

There’s a reason there’s strength in numbers. Having an accountability partner is one of the best ways to make sure you achieve your goals. Ask a friend or family member to help you keep your resolutions. Better still, if it’s a goal they want to accomplish too, work on it together and keep one another accountable!

#12. Get support from others.

Not all behaviours and habits are easy to change. Some require a little more support than others. If you think you’re going to need a little extra support than friends or family can offer, find a local support group or online network that you can join that’ll help you keep your new year’s resolutions.

#13. Let your enthusiasm show!

Rather than hard work and something that limits you, try to see the changes you’re making to your life as an adventure. Think about how much better you’ll feel when you’ve achieved your goals instead. After all, the journey can be as much fun as the destination if you let it!

#14. Weigh up the pros and cons.

It’s natural to want to focus on all the good that change brings but sometimes, there can be downfalls too. For instance, if you decide to lose weight, you’re going to need new clothes. And whilst that’s a good thing, it’s going to cost you money too. Be prepared for both the positive and negative aspects of your decisions and it’ll be much easier to deal with any changes you make.

#15. Be prepared for setbacks.

Days where your good intentions fly out the window and you return to old habits are inevitable. But if you’re prepared for those times in advance and know that they’re going to happen, when you do fall off the wagon, you can just get back on and carry on where you left off.

#16. Prepare in advance.

You’re much more likely to keep your new year’s resolutions when you prepare in advance. Rather than waking up in the morning and deciding that you’re going to make a change right now, give your subconscious time to prepare for the change by telling yourself that you’re going to start next week instead. That way it won’t come as such a shock to your system.

#17. Reward yourself!

There’s nothing quite like a good bribe for following through on your goals! Look for ways to reward yourself every time you achieve one of your baby steps. Go for a nice long walk. Take a long, relaxing bath. Spend time with friends and family. Indulge yourself in some small way – big or small, progress is progress!

#18. Set a deadline.

Want to achieve your goals? You need to have a deadline! Be realistic and give yourself plenty of time to accomplish it but set a date for when you are going to achieve it by – and if you have an accountability partner, make sure they know when it is too so that they can keep you accountable.

#19. Don’t set too many resolutions at once.

Want to keep those new year’s resolutions? Resist the urge to set too many in one go! Stick to just one or two so that you can better focus your efforts. Having just a couple of resolutions will stop you feeling overwhelmed too – which means you’ll be less likely to give up when the going gets tough!

#20. Track your progress.

One of my favourite ways to keep the moment going is to track my progress. There’s nothing more motivating than seeing the progress you’re making down on paper. Especially when you’ve your resolution down into small, manageable tasks and can see yourself getting closer to your goal. A habit tracker works brilliantly for this.

#21. Adopt positive self-talk.

“Whether you think we can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford said this and it’s so true. Mindset really is everything. Tell yourself you can keep new year’s resolutions and achieve your goals and not only will you start to believe it subconsciously, but it’ll make it real in your conscious life too.

#22. Write your resolutions down.

Seeing your goals on paper is an incredibly powerful way of firming up your intentions. There’s something about them being written down that makes them real. Helping you focus on them more clearly, it’s like making a contract with yourself. Take the time to write down your goals, step by step and you’ll see results much faster.

#23. Visualize the results you want.

Picture yourself having already achieved your goals and you’ll be amazed by how much quicker and easier it is to accomplish them. Why? Because your brain thinks you’ve done it already! Close your eyes and imagine yourself after your goals have been met. What do you look like? How do you feel? Live in that moment then go do the work!

#24. Stick to your guns.

You’ve talked about changing. You’ve made a resolution. Now it’s time to stick to your guns and keep going – even if things are a little tough or uncomfortable. Remember, it all comes down to mindset. You CAN keep new year’s resolutions and achieve your goals if you choose to!

#25. Hang in there!

There will be days where keeping new year’s resolutions will be tougher than others. You’ll have days where you feel frustrated and discouraged. And some days, you’ll want to give up. But don’t! You chose that resolution for a reason, so stick with it. Hang in there and keep going…the day when you wake up and realise you’ve accomplished your goal is coming. And it’ll be totally worth it!

How to keep new year’s resolutions and achieve your goals…

There you have it, 25 ways to stick to your new year’s resolutions and accomplish your goals! There are plenty of other strategies out there to help you keep new year’s resolutions but put just a few of these into practice and not only will your 2021 be off to a great start, but you’ll also be crushing your goals before you know it!

That’s it for this post! Did you like these 25 ways to keep new year’s resolutions? Which was your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

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About the Author

Hey there! In case we haven’t met, I’m Sarah, the founder of A Simple and Contented Life. The online coaching practice that helps moms and mompreneurs with an online biz create more balance so that they can thrive both at home and at work WITHOUT feeling like they have to choose between the two.

A certified master life coach, transformation coach, goal success coach and self-published author, I’m also an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, a proud mum of two, a besotted wife, breast cancer survivor and your mentor for making a change for the better.

When I’m not helping my clients and club members create a great home life and business of their dreams, you’ll find me in my favourite Starbucks curled up in a chair, book in one hand, hazelnut latte in the other or attempting to walk my somewhat lazy Frenchie pup Arthur!

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