How To Create A New Year's Resolution & Stick To It

HEY AGAIN!

Or if not again, welcome to The Attitude Of Adventure Blog!
I'm Morgan Deane and my mission with this blog is to give great, applicable advice and funny stories, so that you get a laugh, leave with something helpful, and keep coming back!
I'm a Christ follower, I'm married to the LOVE of my life, we're parents to Winston BARKtholomew Deane the Goldendoodle, and I love drinking homemade smoothies every morning!
{Want to know More About Me? Check it out!}

And now, for the reason you came here today!

A lot of people create new year's resolutions. Year after year, they stick to them for a few days, a few weeks, maybe even a few months, but eventually they fall off the wagon. Rarely does anyone ever stick to a resolution for the whole year. Does this sound familiar? Maybe you've even given up on creating new year's resolutions. Not to worry, I have some great tips and tricks for creating goals you can keep.

HOW TO START

So if most people quit their goals after a few weeks, wherein lies the problem? Availability? Commitment issues? Accountability? Realistic goals? Measurability? Let's look at each of these potential road blocks.

Availability
Do you ever use the excuse of not having time for something? Yeah, me too. But you know what the problem with that excuse is? You make time for what's important to you. You have to figure out your priorities. Write down everything that you want to do, then put them in order of importance to you. If the things at the bottom of the list are getting done before the things at the top, you need to rearrange your priorities.

Commitment
Do you have commitment issues? I certainly do. I get all excited and motivated. I start a goal and stick to it for a week, maybe a little longer. Then, I slowly start falling off the wagon. I skip a day because I'm "feeling sick" or "too tired." I'm really just being lazy. According to Rachel Hollis, "Whatever standard you've set for yourself is where you'll end up... UNLESS you fight through your instinct and change your pattern."

Accountability
When you create a goal, you need accountability. You need someone or something to get you out of bed. If I have a goal of getting up at 6am and walking in the morning, I might stick to it for a bit, but eventually, I'll wake up and say to myself, "No one will miss me if I don't go walking." Yeah, the dog might be sad, but he's not a good enough accountability partner. I do best at sticking to my goals when I have someone on the other side, expecting me to follow through.

Realistic Goals
How do you know if you're creating realistic goals? You need to start small. Choose one thing, just one, then stick with it. If you choose one that's too big, you'll get overwhelmed and quit. You have to choose something you know you can follow through on. For example, if you regularly drink 4 sodas a day and say you're cold-turkey quitting soda, you may succeed, but you may need to start slower. You may need to ease into it. Instead of committing to run every day, maybe you should commit to walking twice a week. Try something attainable and stick with it.

Measurability
Choose something that is measurable. If you're losing weight, that's trackable. If you're going to stop eating sugar, you can track that. But if you say that you're going to work on being healthier, how? How do you intend to be healthier? Get specific. Measure your success!

RESOLUTION IDEAS

So now you know how to create a resolution and stick to it, but what resolution should you pick? Here are a few ideas.

Exercise

1. Walk Tuesday and Friday mornings with a friend
2. Do 10 push-ups a day
3. Attend a yoga class once a week
4. Jog with your dog every morning
5. Start your day with a stretching routine
6. Start a dance class
7. Work on becoming more balanced each day
8. Join a gym WITH a friend
9. Go hiking once a week
10. Work up to doing 30 sit-ups a day and get some abs
11. Work standing instead of sitting for at least 2 hours of each day

Diet

1. Drink 1 less soda per day
2. Only eat 1 piece of candy, cake, cookie, etc. each week
3. Only have 1 alcoholic drink a week
4. Buy no more than 1 bag of chips a month
5. Drink half of your weight in ounces of water every day
6. Eat a vegetable every day
7. Only drink 1 cup of caffeine each day
8. Buy healthy snacks to keep with you throughout the day
9. Eat breakfast every morning
10. Drink a 16-oz glass of water before each meal
11. Eat a fruit every day

Growth

1. Read 1 book a month
2. Throw out 1 thing you don't use every week
3. Delete all of the games from your phone and keep it that way for the whole year
4. Listen to 1 podcast each week
5. Serve at a local non-profit once a month
6. Be on time
7. If you have a TV in your bedroom, move it out for a whole year
8. Spend 1 less hour on your phone each day
9. Send 5 thank you cards every month
10. Plug your phone in OUTSIDE of your bedroom every night at 7pm
11. Learn a new language this year

Self-Care

1. Keep a notebook of 3 things you're grateful for every day
2. Floss your teeth every day
3. Clean out your closet by hanging the clothing hangers backwards at the beginning of the year or season; anything still backwards at the end of the year or season gets donated
4. Sleep a full 8 hours each night
5. Save up and hire a full-house cleaning
6. Write for 5-10 minutes each day (use the Day One App)
7. Give a hug every day
8. Using a dry erase maker, write a new motivational quote on your mirror every week
9. Smile in the mirror every morning
10. Start going to counseling every week
11. Take a self-defense class

Relational

1. Use Feeling Words twice a week with your partner
2. Go on a date night EVERY week
3. Dream about retirement
4. Do a puzzle once a month
5. Create a 10-year plan together and work toward getting there
6. Write a book together
7. Do a massage night once a week - we highly recommend MELT
8. Host a game night each month
9. Workout TOGETHER once a week
10. Walk the neighborhood and talk about your day every evening
11. Read a book together

Spiritual

1. Go to church every week
2. Pray with your spouse every night
3. Read your bible for 15 minutes every morning
4. Go on 1 mission trip this year
5. Memorize a piece of scripture every month
6. Spend 10 minutes in prayer every day
7. Join a bible study
8. Start serving in your church each week
9. Sit and meditate on God's wonder for a full hour every week
10. Go to a spiritual growth conference this year
11. Read the whole bible this year

Hobby

1. Cook 1 new thing you've never made before each month
2. Go skydiving once this year
3. Learn how to crochet and make a blanket as a gift
4. Travel 2 places this year
5. Take a photography class
6. Learn how to play guitar
7. Learn how to golf and go golfing every other week
8. Start writing short poetry and share on Pinterest
9. Learn how to start a podcast and release 2 every month
10. Take up gardening with a window-sill herb garden
11. Paint wood signs, then sell them

Budget

1. Create a budget that works EVERY MONTH
2. Start making your coffee at home instead of buying it every day
3. Save $50 each month for Christmas instead of using credit cards or waiting until December
4. Stick to a budget every month for a whole year
5. Spend less than you make each month
6. Pay off $500 in debt every month
7. Save up for an "Emergencies Only" fund
8. Spend $100 less on eating out each month
9. Sell $1,000 worth of stuff from your house in a year
10. Only eat out once a week
11. Pay off $20,000 in principle on the house

Giving

1. Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru once a month
2. Volunteer at an animal shelter every month
3. Randomly bake cookies for a friend once a month
4. Tithe 10% of your take-home pay each month to your local church
5. Give to a local non-profit once a month
6. Become a mentor to someone a stage of life behind you
7. Volunteer your time once a month to serve a food pantry
8. Visit a nursing home every month
9. Give socks to a homeless shelter each month
10. Volunteer your time at your church every week
11. Make dinner for a needy family every month

NOW DREAM BIG

Lastly, dream. Dream of where you'll be in 10 years. Dream without limitations! Write down everything you want to be, everywhere you want to go. Do you want to be debt free? Do you want to own a condo in New York City overlooking Times Square? How many kids will you have? Will your body be a specific weight? Do you want to travel to Venice, Italy (which I totally recommend, by the way!)?

When you have your dreams written down, create a plan for a way that you can get there today. If you don't start now, even a little, you may never get there.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

I hope you enjoyed today's topic!
If you want to see more by me, check out my full list of blog posts.

Comment below or shoot me an email at AttitudeOfAdventure@gmail.com
Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, & Facebook @AttitudeOfAdventure

I'd Love To Hear From You!

~M

Author: Morgan, Living Organized, Living With Value