How To Make Your Resolutions Stick

Making resolutions that last.


At the beginning of the year, most of us try to make resolutions that will improve our lives and help us reach our long term goals. Whether your goal is to find a new job, start a new career or just be a better employee, finding ways to make the resolutions stick is important.


If you're anything like me, January is filled with great resolutions that by March have been long forgotten. I've read books that suggest that in order to make your resolutions last, you should start earlier. This never works for me because December is a crazy month and it's so hard to try new things when I'm already over stressed.


So what's the answer? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I have found 3 things that can help you keep your resolutions over the long haul:


Decide what you want - This sounds easy, but in all actuality, it's kind of hard. If you make too many goals, it's easy to become overwhelmed. Instead, write down all of the things you want to do and then ask yourself which ones would make the most difference to your life. From there, only pick two or three goals to focus on.


Ask for help - This one works best if you make your resolutions early, or at least have a goal in mind. Ask for holiday gifts that will help you reach your goals. If you miss this step, you can use those gift cards and after holiday sales to find those items. By investing energy and money in your goal, you'll be less likely to give up at the first sign of adversity. This step also helps by getting the people you care about involved and invested in your success.


Focus on small steps - You don't have to start out in a rush on New Year's day. Instead, focus on the small steps that work toward your goal. You can even set up monthly goals as well. For example, my resolution is to get a book finished this year. In January, my goal is scheduling the time to do the research and making all of my notes. By the middle of the year, I should be well into my writing. Keeping it small prevents the goal from feeling too big to accomplish.


Don't let your resolutions become a pile of broken promises to yourself. Look for ways to make them stick by setting yourself up for success.


What are your resolutions this year? Please share your thoughts in the comments.


By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for Administrativejobsblog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.