You can make your New Year’s resolutions and actually succeed at them. However, you need to know how to make those resolutions in a way that promotes success. Here are some tips on how you can do that...
The following post is by MPFJ staff writer, Laurie Blank. Laurie is a wife, mother to 4 and homesteader who blogs about personal finance, self-sufficiency and life in general over at The Frugal Farmer. Part witty, part introspective and part silly, her goal in blogging is to help others find their way to financial freedom and to a simpler, more peaceful life.
Well, the New Year has begun. You probably know at least a few people who’ve made their annual New Year’s Resolutions. Or maybe you’ve made some yourself.
You may have also read that the majority of New Year’s resolutions fail. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can make your New Year’s resolutions and actually succeed at them. However, you need to know how to make those resolutions in a way that promotes success. Here are some tips on how you can do that.
Choose the Right Resolutions for You
Being successful at your New Year’s resolutions starts with making the right ones. Start by choosing resolutions that are truly important to you.
You may know that you need to drop 20 pounds. However, if carrying that extra weight truly doesn’t bother you, your resolution to lose it will likely fail.
The same goes for financial and other goals. If you’re not in a position where change really matters, don’t bother setting a goal to make changes.
As the old saying goals, you have to want to change. If your drive to change isn’t there, your motivation to achieve your goal likely won’t be there either.
So, work to set goals that are truly important to you.
Don’t Choose too Many Resolutions
Another way people set themselves up for resolution failure is by setting too many resolutions. Maybe you feel as if your life is a mess right now.
Your money’s a mess, your health is a mess, your house is a mess, and your social life is an utter failure. Although all these areas may need help, it’s best to choose one or two that are at the top of your priority list.
Don’t try and fix everything at once. Try and choose resolutions to fix problems that may be having a global impact on your life.
It could be that as you work on the one or two top resolutions, you may find that other areas of your life fall into place as a result.
For instance, gaining control over your health will result in you feeling better about yourself. As such, you may find yourself managing your money more responsibly.
By choosing one resolution at a time, you can avoid getting overwhelmed by having too many goals to keep track of and work on.
Use the S.M.A.R.T Goal System
Another key to resolution success is to make S.M.A.R.T goals. S.M.A.R.T goals are goals that are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Let’s break down each point and talk about how it can help you achieve those resolutions.
Specific
Many people go into goal-setting vaguely. They’ll say “My resolution this year is to pay off debt.” Without a more specific goal, that phrase can leave you overwhelmed. How much debt? How? When?
Instead, try being specific with your resolutions. Try setting your goals this way:
“My goal is to pay off $5,000 in consumer debt this year.”
Do you see the difference? In the first scenario, you just throw a mountainous goal in your lap. In the second scenario, you’ve set a specific goal. At least in scenario two, you’ve got an idea of where you’re headed. Scenario one simply requires you to do an unspecified amount of work.
The next step is to make your goal measurable.
Measurable
Measurable goals tell what you have to do in each step to achieve your goal. Let’s start by using the same goal of paying off $5k in consumer debt. You’d measure it by saying:
“I want to pay off this debt in one year.” Now you know when you want to accomplish your goal. You have a target in which you can measure it by.
Attainable
The next step is to make your goal attainable. For instance, don’t set a goal of paying off $50,000 of debt in one year if your income is only $55,000 unless you have big ticket items you can sell or another way of achieving this goal.
Make sure your goal is truly attainable.
Relevant
Relevancy is another part of successful resolution achievement. Your goals must be important to you. They must be relevant to your life and your happiness.
Keep this in mind as you choose the resolutions you’ll work toward.
Time Bound
Lastly, a S.M.A.R.T. goal is time bound. It has a starting date and a finish date. So, if your goal is to pay off $5k in debt in one year, you can say you need to pay off $417 in debt each month.
By having a time-specific goal, you know what the baby steps are to succeeding at your resolution.
Conclusions
Resolutions can be tricky. If you want to achieve yours, use the tips above to maximize your chances of success.
***Photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/kitkaphotogirl/32181449936/in/
