2021 is a year that just could not come soon enough and I know many of us have very high hopes for what is to come in the next 12 months. January is the notorious time of the year when that exciting idea of resolutions is fresh in our mind. We have 2020 in the rearview mirror and want to make sure you’re making the most out of the goals being set at the beginning. 

The pandemic robbed us of many things and one of the biggest ones was our sense of normalcy. In March of last year, even if you were just breaking the ice and making solid traction with that resolution you made at the beginning of the year, it was all thrown out the window (and that’s ok, we all had bigger things on our minds.) It’s time to start fresh and finally put a little more focus on ourselves. 

Many of us set goals this time of the year, but most don’t see them come to fruition because we don’t know how to execute them correctly. You may even be thinking to yourself that resolutions aren’t for you because you may not have the best track record of keeping true to the goal all year long. Trust us, we are all guilty of the mid-March slump when you’re on a high for the first two months of the year, but quickly fizzle. Here are just a few ways you can keep yourself accountable all year round and make sure those resolutions last! 

Turning the bad into good 

Coming from a year like 2020, the best motivation is all the bad that may have come with such a difficult time. It’s the best feeling when someone gets you down and you work harder just to prove them wrong. Many of us had time to reflect this past year and we found things about ourselves that we may have overlooked. Now is the best time to turn ourselves around, but always remember what made us make these changes. 

Journaling is highly recommended by many to re-evaluate thoughts and feelings, which can be a great way to finalize resolutions. The continuing of journaling throughout the year will help keep the goal fresh in your mind, reminding you to keep it going! 

Organization is key 

Setting the tone early on for your resolutions will help visualize how it can get done. The best way to kick things off is to physically write down a list of your resolutions and tack it up wherever you'll see it every day. A post-it note on your computer, taped on your bathroom mirror, or even setting your phone’s lock screen with a photo of your intentions will keep it fresh in your mind. 

Organization also means getting yourself up and making even the smallest changes right away. If you have found yourself in a 2020 funk, start the change right away with a small task like making your bed every morning, or make a goal of not checking your phone when you wake up and instead, meditate or take a second to yourself.

Your Why’s 

Even if your new year's resolution is something external, if you don’t want to find yourself dropping it in just a few weeks, everything needs to start internally with reflecting on why this is best for you to change. 

The best way to make sure your goals stick is to know “why” you’re doing it. Is it to better yourself physically, mentally, or emotionally? Your why’s will keep you on the right track when you may find yourself slipping from that resolution you were so set on in the beginning. This can carry you month to month to create that long-lasting habit of staying true to you. 

Your why’s can even be written right next to your resolutions to help you visualize them every day. Daily meditation can help you understand why you may want to change the way you live through resolutions and give you better understanding of who you are. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day 

Know that it’s going to take time (that is why they’re called year-long resolutions) and that nothing can be done over night. Take smaller steps to reach those really big goals to make it much more doable for your busy schedule. For example, has running a 5k been on your bucket list for as long as you can remember but, you haven’t even pulled yourself off the couch yet? The expression walk before you can run is very fitting here because instead of making it your goal to run a mile every day try starting off with a 20-minute walk instead. There are even great apps that help you take those small steps that are needed to race to that finish line in your own time like: 

Here is the link to download now: 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.c25k&hl=en_US&gl=US