How to Set Realistic Resolutions for the New Year

Many New Year’s resolutions fail, but yours don’t have to! Creating resolutions is a great way to set positive intentions for the future. Whether you had a stellar year or not-so-good 2022, resolutions will help you motivate future action. Here are the three steps you can take to achieve all your goals in 2023.

Choose a resolution that’s meaningful (and doable)

Select no more than one or two resolutions so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Make sure it’s something that you genuinely want to do for yourself. You should never set a resolution based on what someone else (or society) is telling you to change.

Use the SMART goal methodology to decide if your resolutions are achievable. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Create a plan

One of the best ways to keep a New Year’s resolution is to embody the person you’re trying to become. For example, if you want to read more books this year, ask yourself “what would a reader do?”. Then, jot down tangible things that you can do every day to become that person. A reader might leave their phone in another room in favour of picking up a good book, read during their commute on public transit and lunch break and work, or join a book club.

Don't get discouraged by setbacks

Setbacks are inevitable and life happens, so don’t get too upset if you miss one gym session or don’t do well on a test you had hoped to ace. As long as you adjust your game plan, crush the next workout, or study harder to do better on the next test, you’ll still be on track to succeed.

It’s going to be a fabulous year! Don’t let anyone stop you from embodying the “new year, new me” mentality if that’s what will help you thrive. Progress isn’t linear, but continued effort will help you create amazing results.