Happy new year, guys! I want to wish you all the best in 2018. I have always had the habit of setting resolutions as a way to freshly start another 365 days full with new hope and chances. The best is when at the end you can proudly say that you have attained most, if not all, of them. Over the past years, I have developed my own way of attaining these resolutions. By sharing my tips with you, I hope that they also help you to succeed in doing it. Let’s do this together.

Formulate your resolutions positively
With resolutions we are often inclined to focus on what we do not want. In specific, in the formulation we emphasize on withdrawing from a habit or eliminating something in our life. However, to make it easier for us to stay motivated till the end, it is better to frame them in a positive way. Take for example the goal of losing weight. A positive reformulation of this is is to become fitter.

Make sure your resolutions are things that can be measured or checked off
I am a real fan of setting ambitious big goals. Since they are difficult to realise straightaway, usually what I do is to break them up in smaller measurable parts and link them with action points. This way it is easier for me to keep track of my own progress and check them off accordingly. Of course, it can happen that you do not finish your action point at the planned time. In this case, it is essential to not give it up altogether but to adjust the deadline and try to still complete it.

Write them down
Things are starting to feel more official once you have written it down. Your commitment to it will also increase when you have put pen down to paper. On top of this, I try to gather inspirational images together for creating my own dream board. By having my resolutions expressed in both words and photos, I feel more connected to them. This also helps me to easier make adjustments to them when necessary.

Keep it to five resolutions at maximum
To keep it feasible, I always do not create more than five resolutions. This is to prevent it from becoming too overwhelming and demotivating.

Share them with the world
Although it can be a scary feeling to share your resolutions with the rest of the world, that might actually give you extra motivation in sticking to them. When you tell others about your plans for 2018, they can help you to realise it or remind you about it.

Keep your new promise to yourself for one whole month, without any exception
In essence, resolutions have to do with taking on a new habit to include in your daily routine. Especially at the beginning this can be tough and high demanding. What I have taught myself is to see them as promises that I made to myself. This helps me to keep in the consistency and increases my dedication which prevents me from falling back into my previous rhythm. As is shown that it takes around 21 days to pick up a new habit, I indeed feel that once I pass this period my new habits have become integrated in my routine.

I hope these tips to achieve everything what you want. What are your resolutions for 2018? Cannot wait to read them in the comments below.

Until next time!

Love always,

Mee-Ling