This Is The Key To Keeping Resolutions That Everyone Seems To Forget

Unsplash/Freddy Marschall

After living indulgently for the past few months, most of us want to pick a New Year resolution that is somehow connected to self-improvement. And that’s awesome. But at the end of the day, only 8 percent of us will actually achieve what we set out to accomplish.

That’s because we’re dreamers and set big goals with high expectations for ourselves.

Now, unlike others, we won’t tell you to reality check your lofty aspirations. Instead, we recommend breaking your one big, long-term goal down into a bunch of smaller, short-term goals. Give yourself deadlines along the way for each piece, be specific about what you want to achieve, and set the bar at a reasonable height so you can feel motivated by your eventual progress rather than pissed off by your impending failure.

Unsplash/Cathryn Lavery

Let’s say, for example, you want to finally make that dramatic switch to veganism. Great. But the last thing you want to do is trash all the animal products in your kitchen and pantry on January 1 and jump right in hoping for the best. That’s just not going to work out well.

Instead, set a goal to complete your personal reading and research on the topic by the end of January. Then, meet with a nutrition specialist in February and outline a new eating plan that is both plant-based and nutritionally balanced. Then, start weaning yourself into the plan by going vegetarian (rather than full-on vegan) for March and April. This way, by May, you’ve primed your mind and body for this major life change and are much more likely to find success with it.

Obviously, that’s just one resolution scenario, but this process of setting multiple mini, achievable and deadline-oriented goals is key to reaching any final destination. It keeps you focused on something tangible in the present moment as well as excited about the benefits of what’s eventually to come.

Hey, it’s worth giving it a shot, right?