How to Keep Your 2024 Resolutions

While staying up to date on your resolutions for the new year can be difficult, there are many ways to efficiently work towards completing them. The following tools/steps can thoroughly assist you in moving forward with and developing your resolution goals.

S.M.A.R.T Goals can Benefit Your 2024 Resolutions

Throughout middle and high school, it is likely that you have been taught the goal-making tool known as a S.M.A.R.T. goal. If not, a S.M.A.R.T goal can simply be defined as a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time–Bound. This goal-making tool can be an extremely beneficial tool to use when planning out and keeping up with your 2024 resolutions. S.M.A.R.T goals clearly define if your resolutions can be reached, allowing you to easily and consistently work towards achieving them. An example of a S.M.A.R.T goal/resolution is to learn enough Spanish to converse with Spanish speakers through daily practice, by the end of the year. This goal stays on focus, is time bound, achievable, and specific enough by which you know what you want to achieve. S.M.A.R.T goals can be an important tool to consider using when planning for and staying consistent with your New Years resolutions.

Effective planning can keep your resolution goals consistent.

While using goal planning tools can create consistency in your 2024 resolutions, these tools require the assistance of things like journals and planners to solidify space for resolutions in your daily routine. By creating a daily journal for yourself, you can keep up with what you have done/what you need to do every day, what daily goals you have planned towards the completion of your resolution, and when the deadline you've set for your resolution will be. In addition, by having a daily planner whether it's physical or digital, you will always have a reminder to look at for anything that you need to remember. Keeping less information on your mind lessens stress, thus allowing for an increase in productivity towards your goals.

A commitment to your 2024 resolutions does not have to be a lonely one.

Another way to stay consistent will your resolution goals is to have a buddy to work through resolution goals with you. As people, we tend to work better with those we feel comfortable with. This is very true for goal setting and resolution commitment. When working independently on the goals we set for ourselves, it is often the case that we set the goal, finish it half of the way, and then stop/give up and say, “I'll do it tomorrow.” However, when we work with others on a goal, whether it's shared or not, we feel a stronger sense of urgency to complete it, as someone else is there to keep you accountable. This sense of accountability strengthens the desire to move ahead with our goals and resolutions, even if they are hard to overcome at times.

New year's resolutions do not only have to be about boosting your health.

While keeping up with your health is always important, the resolution to go to the gym more, or to eat healthier, is overused and often not followed through on. As a result, when planning your resolutions and considering your resolution options, it is important to brainstorm ideas that can benefit you but are also more likely to be regularly worked on. One idea is to create a scholarship application goal for the 2024 school year. Creating a scholarship goal as your New Years resolution allows you to have the chance to receive additional funding for your college/post high school career. This goal, however, does not have to be unreasonable. An example scholarship goal for the 2024 school year could be to apply for 5 no essay scholarships a week, or to apply for at least three essay-based scholarships a month. Taking time out of your week to fill out these simple scholarships can be what keeps you out of student loan debt and doing something that you don't want to do for the rest of your life. Additionally, through completing these scholarships you can develop other skills that are necessary for life post high school. Regulating and keeping up with your 2024 New Years resolutions doesn't need to be difficult. By following the aforementioned steps, you can achieve those goals you've been putting off for as long as you can remember.