How to Keep a New Year’s Resolution
The ball is about to drop in a few days, so you’re probably brainstorming ideas for your New Year’s resolution. Maybe you want to exercise more, eat healthier, get organized, save money, get more sleep, or read more. Whatever your goal is, we’re here to help you stick to it and make 2022 your happiest and healthiest year yet!
Make a Plan or Checklist
As the saying goes, a goal without a plan is just a wish, so you better get planning! Whether it be purchasing an agenda, making a spreadsheet, or crafting a cute poster board, you need to figure out what planning strategy works best for you. It’s important to have a physical, or digital, space to return to and mark your progress. Research also shows that crossing, or checking, items off on a list is extremely satisfying and motivating.
Reward Small Steps
Rather than intimidating yourself with one enormous resolution, break your goal up into smaller, more manageable achievements. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds, start by just exercising for just 15 minutes each day and limiting your late-night leftover Christmas cookie intake to just one.
Or, if your resolution is to “get organized,” you can break that abstract idea into specific tasks that you can focus on each week, such as putting the laundry away as soon as it’s out of the dryer or creating designated drawers for all your knickknacks. Accomplishing these smaller tasks will encourage you to tackle the more difficult ones later down the road.
Develop Habits
Remember, research shows that it takes about 21 days to develop a new habit and a little more than two months to really solidify a habit, so just stick to your goals early on and things will get easier! This is also why it’s better to take small steps in the beginning while you’re still getting used to your new habit of going to bed early or reading one chapter each evening.
Pause and Relax
Don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t get discouraged. You can do it! Whenever you’re feeling down, take a moment to pause, breathe deeply and congratulate yourself for your efforts. It’s no easy feat to grow and change as a person, so good on you for taking up the challenge!
When you’re down, it’s also always nice to listen to some upbeat music that’ll get you smiling and up off the couch, ready to face your resolution without fear. And since music is our game at Night Is Alive, we put together a few tunes that’ll have you tapping your toes all throughout January!
Johnny Otis – Happy New Year Baby
Remember, you’re not the only one with a New Year’s resolution—people have been making these, and sticking to them, for years. Blues musician Johnny Otis even released a song in 1948 about his! I made a resolution I’m gonna keep the whole year through. I’m gonna give up chasin’ women, whiskey drinkin’ too…
Janis Siegel & John Di Martino – Are You Alright?
When doing something difficult, it’s always good to check in with yourself and make sure that you’re alright and that you’re not pushing yourself too hard. This 2021 rendition of the Lucinda Williams song also offers a jazzy, fresh feel that’ll encourage you to imbue your life with change in the form of new, healthy habits.
This post was written by Blog Editor, Jacqueline Knirnschild.