10 tips for creating new years resolutions and accomplishing them

What is New Year’s?

We know that different cultures celebrate the coming of a new year on different dates and in different manners. But mostly the world feels it as a restart. We see it as a renewal of ourselves and growth towards being better. New year’s eve tends to mark a path of opportunity and for change in ourselves and our circumstances. That is why a lot of cultures set new years resolutions.

The tradition of setting goals

A lot of cultures also have a tradition of setting goals. We normally tend to write them down only or just think about them. The worse part is that we sometimes use them as an excuse for avoiding doing something during the year. For example, it’s October and you want to start working out and getting fir but you say to yourself that you will start next year with the start of the new year. According to Forbes, “Studies have shown that less than 25% of people actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them.” The real question is, how can we become that 8% of people that actually accomplish them? How can we not forget about them 30 days later and fall back into last year’s mistakes and patterns?

Tips to set your goals and actually accomplish them:

1.Write your goals down properly (pretty)

This will help you want to do them. Because if you don’t make what you want attractive will you actually want to do it.

2.Don’t say you want to do something say that you are doing it

A really important part is to not phrase your goals as desires you need to phrase them as if you already have them. So instead of saying “I want to get paid 10k monthly” instead you can say “I get paid 10k monthly.”

3.Don’t say that you want to be more say that you are…

With the same principle as the last point, instead of saying you want to be more of something, let’s say “I want to be more caring,” phrase it as “I am a caring person.”

4.Use small goals that lead to a big goal

Instead of setting big goals like “Get fit” that have no specificity try something more clear that tells you what to do. For this example, “Go to the gym 3 times a week for an hour.” This will pave the path for you instead of just knowing your destination.

5.Add images to help visualization

To the format, you choose to put your goals in, add pictures. Pictures always help visualize what you want and give your mind a more clear image of what needs to happen to accomplish that. It helps us see where we want to be.

6.Put your goals somewhere visible

Putting the place in which you write your goals in a place that is visible is key to accomplishing your goals. If you don’t see them you will forget their existence and in turn, forget what you wish to accomplish. Seeing them every day at every hour is a reminder to yourself of the paths that you need to be taking in life.

7.Make a contract

The next thing would make a contract with yourself in which you promise to do these things, if you don’t accomplish them you will suffer the consequences that are stated in your contract. Those can include giving someone in your family money or wearing something silly when going out. 

8.Get someone to hold you accountable

For the previous point, an accountability partner could be necessary. Someone close to you that knows when you get away from the path of following your goals and enforces the consequences that you have in your contract. An accountability partner can also be someone with similar goals who embarks on this journey with you.

9.Create a tracker

Apart from setting your goals, you need to have a place where you can mark whether you have accomplished a habit that day that will lead you to your goal. Using a calendar and marking the day in which you have completed action is the easiest.

10.Make a habit of reading them every day

Setting a time in which you read your goals over is important because it is different to just see them then process them and actually read them. Make it a ritual to read your goals every day, preferably in the morning before going out, to remind yourself of who you wish to become.

Most of these tips have been inspired by the book Atomic Habits by James Clear that talks about how to accomplish your goals by using habits.

I have just adapted my favorite tips to how you can use them in new year’s to get your year going. Especially after the crazy 2020, we have all had. I hope you can create an awesome goal setting technique for yourself so you can accomplish all of your goals by the end of the year!