5 Tips for Making Your New Year's Goals Stick

It's that time of year again. After the holiday rush, you're immediately thrown into a season of reflection and productiveness where you're meant to rework unhealthy habits and adopt a "new year, new you" mindset. 

Setting new goals and crushing them is important but, let's not ignore the overwhelm and shame that can also accompany this season of each new year as well. 

With new goals come increased chance for failure, biting off more you can handle, and comparison with those who seem to have their goals more in check than you may. We're here to say that shame and New Year's resolutions don't have to go hand in hand. Although dropping resolutions mid-way through February is the norm, it's totally possible to set goals and make them stick all year long. 

Here are a few simple ways to make sure your goals aren't left in the wake of real life this 2019. 

1. Keep your goals in line with your day to day life

Although we're all for dreaming big and crushing your goals, the more practical resolutions are ones you're more likely to stick with. Instead of deciding to lose an impractical amount of weight or start a new business from scratch, change the phrasing of your goals to make them more do-able. 

Decide to exercise three times each week, or write a business plan for your business in the first month of the year. These goals are still big, but are more do-able than "larger than life" resolutions. 

2. Break big goals into smaller ones throughout the year

Similarly, breaking your really big goals into smaller ones that you can accomplish throughout the year will ensure that you don't give up mid-way through the year. Smaller goals are statistically proven to stick around and become habits, so sit down with a planner and break your big dreams up into smaller ones that you can work on a little bit every day.

3. Reward yourself when you hit milestones

There's nothing like a little shameless self-bribery to keep you motivated. You know what you love, so make a note to indulge yourself a little bit each time you accomplish a piece of your goal. 

4. Reevaluate each quarter

Some goals seem to achieve themselves while others take major work. Set a time every three months or so to check in with yourself. Ask how your goals are progressing, whether they still serve you, whether you're achieving them in an effective way, and how you can keep up the momentum. 

5. Make time for self-care too

Life isn't all about crushing goals, despite what early January makes it out to be. Remember that you are more than your goals, regardless of how easily you achieve them. Take care of yourself, your home, and your body, and the rest will fall into place as you work towards any New Year resolutions you may have set. 

What goals are you setting this year? How do you plan to make them stick?