By Hannah Magino
By around the end of January, many teens have already forgotten about their New Year’s Resolution. As the ball dropped and you counted down to the new year, you may have had your mindset on achieving a goal for the year. Unfortunately, you probably haven’t been making consistent progress in the first few weeks. If you have dropped your resolution already, here are some tips you can use to make your next resolutions—and not only New Year ones—more achievable!
Different things you can do:
Make specific/realistic goals
When creating your goals, try to be as specific as possible. Being vague makes goals harder to complete with no real sense of whether or not you are headed in the right direction. Setting specific goals allows you to plan the who, what, when, where, why, and how of things, making it easier to complete them. When setting goals for yourself, set goals that you know are achievable, whether short-term or long-term.
Have fun with it
When you are setting goals, you are more likely to do something consistently if you enjoy it. Instead of putting yourself through rigorous and difficult tasks that leave you wanting to give up, integrate fun components that will leave you wanting to continue on with this goal. By incorporating fun, working toward your goal may not even feel like work.
Ask for help
Something we need to realize as teens is that there is no shame in asking for help, especially from a family member or a friend. Have a friend join you in your goal to make it more fun. Or, have them keep tabs on you and hold you accountable if you have been slacking off. All in all, having a friend by your side always makes things easier.
Choose goals for you
When deciding what goals to achieve, make sure you are choosing something that correlates to what you want and not anyone else. Falling victim to peer pressure can cause you to do things you don’t want to do. Trying to be someone you are not isn’t gonna make you happy this year. Achieve goals that make you the person you want to be.
Track your progress
Make sure to track the progress you make. By seeing the progress you’ve made from the beginning, you will feel the motivation to keep going. Write down and track the things you do, so you can regularly look back on the things you’ve done.
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As we persist through the year, making goals that are achievable and manageable should be something we continue to do. Don’t be discouraged because the first one of the year fell through. Continue to work on yourself and work towards your new goals using these tips.
References:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/01/health/how-to-set-new-year-resolutions-wellness/index.html
https://gero.cuchicago.edu/uncategorized/6-steps-to-turn-your-new-years-resolutions-into-action/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/your-new-years-resolution-doesnt-have-to-stress-you-out/
https://www.uabmedicine.org/-/10-secrets-of-people-who-keep-their-new-year-s-resolutions