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How to Stick to Your Resolutions and Goals All Year Long

It’s a new year, and we are now weeks into 2021. Everyone has created their New Year’s resolutions and goals for the year but making them is easy. Staying committed to your resolutions and goals for the rest of the year is much more challenging.

One of your resolutions may be to work out and make healthier food choices. Or perhaps you made a goal to start working toward a new career by going back to school to get a college degree. No matter what your resolutions are for 2021, there are many things you can do to keep focused and moving toward your goals year-round. Read on to discover our top tips to help you to stay focused this year!

Create a Plan Just for You

Sometimes the things that work for others may not necessarily be the best options for you. You require your own plan designed to help you reach your goals. To start, you need to create specific goals. For example, if your New Year’s resolution is to exercise more, decide how many times you will work out for the week and what types of workouts you will do. Which days are you going to set aside to work out? Will you exercise at home or a gym? Having the answers to these questions will allow you to make a specific plan for your resolutions.

It is said that it takes approximately 21 days to build a habit and about 90 days to build a lifestyle. This means that as you try to create a new habit, each time you do something new, it will get a little easier, and inevitably it will become part of your lifestyle and natural for you. Working out will be difficult at first, mostly if you have not done any workouts in a long time. Being sore and tired afterward is normal. As you continue exercising, you will build up muscle and endurance, and it will become easier for you with each passing day.

As we try to improve ourselves with each resolution and goal, it may be tempting to try to accomplish them all at once. However, when you create too many resolutions, they can work against your favor. It may become overwhelming for you to make too many changes at once. This can lead you to give up or throw in the towel in the early stages. If you select just three goals and make them your top priorities, you will be more likely to reach those goals.

In this age of technology, an app exists for almost everything. If one of your goals is to work out more, using an app that can help you make plans and track exercise days will help keep you focused. If you have a goal set to make healthier food choices, using an app can help you keep track of meals and provide insight on which foods are more beneficial. If another goal is to be better off financially and save more money, using an app made for budgeting can help you track your spending. You will then have a better idea of how your money is being spent and control that spend much easier.

Choose Progress Over Perfection

Change is a process that does not happen overnight. The Statue of Liberty was not constructed in a day, and Starry Night by Van Gogh was not painted in a single night. Greatness takes time, and that certainly includes your goals and resolutions. If your goal is to work toward a new career by going back to school, each class you attend and every test you take helps you make progress toward achieving that goal. It will take some time to complete your degree and graduate, but once you do, you will accomplish your goal of starting an exciting new career.

We would all like things to be perfect. However, if we continue to wait for the perfect time, we may never get anything done. There will never be perfect timing, and things may not go as planned, but if we want to take a step toward our goals and dreams, then we must close our eyes and take a leap of faith.

Perfection does not exist. It is something we mentally strive for that keeps us doing the same things repeatedly. An example of this is becoming a vegetarian, then accidentally eating meat at some point. This does not mean that you are a failure. Instead, try to examine what made you eat meat and get back on track the next day, with the understanding of why you did it. Learning from failure helps you do better the next time around. This approach allows us to change our failures into successes because you will get better each time you complete the process.

It can be a challenge to stay focused on your New Year’s resolutions and goals. In the beginning, it’s super exciting, but with time the excitement wears off, and motivation can diminish. How do we keep ourselves focused all year? Here are a few great ways to maintain your excitement. If you start school to begin a new career, reward yourself with a slice of cake each time you pass a test. Another great way is to practice daily affirmations, which can be very powerful, bringing inspiration to your life and keeping you focused. If you find words that inspire you, place them where you can view them every morning. Use a sticky note or have notifications sent to your phone from your favorite motivational page.

The third way to help you stay focused is to know why you started and remember why you wanted to achieve your goals and resolutions. What is pushing you to make these improvements in your life? It may be that you chose your goals to get a better job for yourself and your family. Maybe you want to show your kids what’s possible when you commit and work hard, whenever you have days where you fall off track or feel like giving up when you stop to remember your why it can help you stay focused.

Get Support of Family and Friends

Having the support of those around you can have a huge influence on your goals. If you have a network of friends and family who support you, it will be easier for you to stick to your resolutions and accomplish them. Getting a mentor or someone who has already passed the hurdles to get where you want to be can also help accelerate your journey to achieving your goals. They can offer tips and share best practices with you based on their own experiences. The trick is to build your network of positive influencers purposely. Assemble a group of cheerleaders who help motivate you and remind yourself that it is okay to ask for help whenever you need it.

Another way to stay on track is to get an accountability partner that has similar goals. Partner with them to help keep each other encouraged and on the right path. Set time aside daily or weekly to have conversations and check in to see how each of you are doing. Having someone to chat with, who is going through similar situations, can make a big difference!

Reach Your Career Goals with East Ohio

Now that you have the inspiration to stay committed to your resolutions and goals all year let East Ohio College help you get started! If you’re ready for a new career in an exciting field like Nursing, Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting, Medical Billing and Coding, or Business Administration, then request information now to start your journey to a new career!