How to Follow Through on New Year's Resolutions

By Kristin Dickie

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Posted: January 11, 2023

It’s the beginning of a new year, and with that comes opportunity for making changes in your life. But how do you choose the resolutions you’re going to commit to? How do you actually follow through and stick to your resolution? It’s all about picking resolutions that are important to you, motivate you, and are reasonable to follow through on.

Identify What is REALLY Important to You
The first step is identifying what resolutions are really important to you and motivate you to make change. Make a list of possible resolutions that are important to you, and then rank them in the order of which ones would make the most impact on your life if you followed through with them.
Identify What Changes You Need to Make to Be Successful
Once you narrow down the list of resolutions that are possible, seriously consider the day to day changes you would need to make in order to be successful at sticking to your resolution. It’s important to commit to resolutions that you feel you can actually succeed at. So be honest with yourself about the changes that are required, and if something feels too overwhelming, then pick a different resolution or see if you can modify the resolution to feel more realistic.
Identify What Will Make the Behavior Changes Easier to Stick To
We are more likely to follow through with behavior change when we pair it with something we already do or already enjoy. For example, let’s say you already have a cardio routine but want to add in a strength training routine. If you can pair the strength training routine to your cardio routine, you will be more likely to work the new routine into your schedule.
Re-evaluate and Change Things Up if Needed!
Remember, you can always revise your resolutions if they don’t feel achievable a month in. Figure out what is getting in the way and identify a way to make changes so that your resolution does feel attainable. Life is always changing and presenting new challenges, and so being able to adjust is an important skill to learn.

Good Luck and Happy 2023!