How to stick to your New Year’s resolutions in 2021

As we say goodbye to a stressful and challenging 2020, now is the perfect time to get a little introspective and set some positive intentions for the upcoming year. If you’re hoping for a fresh start come January 1 and are working on your New Year’s resolution list, these tips will help you identify your goals, make an action plan and stick to healthy habits in 2021.

[Photo Credit: irissca]

Think about what aspects of your life you’d like to change or work on in 2021. While New Year’s resolution lists typically cover quitting bad habits like smoking, drinking, and too much screen time, you might want to consider adding some new healthy behaviours into your routine for 2021 like meditating, getting better sleep, or staying in touch with friends. When it comes to personal growth, there are many different areas you can work on like mental health, physical health, relationships, career ambitions, money management, or home organization.

Whether you want to make serious lifestyle changes, or you’re planning some casual funny New Year’s resolutions, setting an intention is only the first step – you need to identify the tangible actions required to make it happen. Resolutions such as “read more books” or “lose weight” are admirable goals, but they are hard to measure. Take your big ideas and break them down into small behavioural changes that you can quantify. If you want to read more, commit to finishing two books a month or reading 30 minutes before bed each night. If losing weight is on your New Year’s resolution list, create a structured plan that includes specific alterations to your diet and exercise regime.

Change doesn’t happen all at once so don’t expect your life to look different overnight. Major transformations are difficult, and it takes time to form a new habit or break a bad one. Behavioural modifications are gradual and require consistency and repetition. Research shows it can take around 66 days for a new habit to become a natural part of your routine. Be patient with yourself, monitor your progress, and celebrate the small milestones as you make strides towards achieving your New Year goals.

One of the best ways to stay on track with your New Year’s resolutions is to make yourself accountable. If you struggle with discipline and maintaining healthy habits on your own, seek out support from external sources that will make you responsible for your behaviour.

• Keep a diary or download a mobile tracking app to help you count your steps, record your calories, log sleep patterns, or manage your finances.
• Ask friends and family to check in with you at regular intervals for a status update on your New Year’s resolutions.
• Invest in professional services from a personal trainer, nutritionist, financial planner, or a life coach who can oversee your progress, measure results, and provide an added level of accountability.

Make it easier on yourself to stick to your New Year’s resolutions by eliminating the ease and convenience of bad behaviours. Want to stop scrolling on social media? Delete Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram apps from your phone. If your goal is to cut back on snacking after dinner, remove the sweet and salty treats from your pantry. Often our bad habits are impulsive; if we make it harder to succumb to those urges, it’s easier to exercise self-control.

Everyone slips up from time to time, but that doesn’t mean you need to throw in the towel on your New Year’s resolutions. Faltering and failing are two very different things. If you stumble or get discouraged with your lack of progress, remember that temporary setbacks don’t mean you have to start over again at square one. Acknowledge what set you off course, learn from your misstep, and refocus your energy on moving forward.