Are you making a New Year’s resolution in 2022? Perhaps you made some last year, too. Unfortunately, more than half of all resolutions fail. But this could be the year of change – when you actually stick to the resolutions you make by identifying the right goals to improve your life and make plans on how to achieve them.
How to make the right resolution to improve your life?
Many resolutions fail due to a lack of commitment or motivation because the resolution you made isn’t right for you.
But why is it wrong? Typically because of three reasons:
- It’s not specific. For instance, you want to save money, but you don’t have a savings target.
- It’s not realistic, like trying to lose 20 pounds in a week.
- It’s based on what somebody else told you to do, such as trying to lose weight because your boyfriend asked you to!
Therefore, it’s important to get the ‘why’ right, lest your motivation to stick to your resolution turns out to be as fickle as your reason. Once you know ‘why’ you want to make a specific change, work out the details – make it specific – to spell out to yourself what you are trying to achieve within a specified timeframe.
Besides setting the right goals to stay motivated, you can also follow these tips to create new habits in 2022:
1. Set intentions
As we stated previously, you’re more likely to succeed if your goals are specific. For example, saying that you want to get fit is less effective than stating what getting fit means to you.
Setting specific intentions, like “drinking eight glasses of water every day”, “sleeping early at night”, or “exercising for at least 40 minutes daily” are examples of goals you are more likely to achieve than a vague intention like “I want to get fit”.
2. Know ‘why’?
Why do you want to achieve a particular goal? Do you want to get fit to feel more active or perform better at work? Or, do you want to save money to pay the deposit on your first home? Knowing why you are doing something is key to achieving your goals.
3. Start small
You can’t run before you learn to walk. Instead of turning around your entire life and giving up too soon, it’s better to start small. For example, you can start by reviewing the habits that are holding you back. If you are trying to save more money, perhaps you can make several small changes throughout your day to make small savings. It could be as simple as brewing your coffee at home or avoiding take-out dinners every Friday.
Remember, it’s not about making big, sweeping changes. Instead, it’s about staying consistent and improving your life little by little every day.
4. Create a schedule
Having a specific goal increases your chances of achieving it, but you have the greatest chance of crushing your goals when you schedule the steps. If your goal is to save money, set an auto-debit from your account at the beginning of the month to schedule your savings and stay on track. If you aim to get fit, mark up your gym slots on your calendar, so you get timely reminders and don’t slack.
5. Get support and stay accountable
Sharing your goals with someone you care about can help you stay accountable, which could help you meet your goals. Talking to someone about your goals can also give you more clarity about what you wish to achieve and how you plan to go about it.
If you aim to purchase a house in 2022, speaking to a friend who already owns their home could give you a better idea of the various costs involved in the home buying process and a fair estimate of how much you’ll need to save. If you need to understand your financing options, speaking to a mortgage broker could help.
