3 Tips to Help You Stick to Your New Year's Resolution

The start of a New Year is a great time to hit reset with new goals and aspirations. Each year provides an opportunity to develop new habits, try a new hobby, or start a new project. With all of these opportunities, there's a chance for broken resolutions if you're unable to stay disciplined, and consistent. Let's dive into 3 tips that can help you keep your New Year's resolution(s)!

1. be selective with your resolution

The New Year provides that "fresh start effect" and it can be easy to get excited about all the possible changes you can make in your life. The key is to understand that we can make changes at any time during the year and it's important to make sure your resolutions are set like goals:

You might have tons of ideas for resolutions but they key to achieving them is to not take on too many at once. Focusing on one goal at a time can provide the confidence boost you need to start working towards another goal after you've found success. 

2. Establish a routine

Once you've set one or a few resolutions, getting yourself into a routine will help you work towards your desired habits. Here are few tips to establish a routine

• Set a plan: What triggers your routine? A certain time of day? Specific day of the week or activity? The more consistent you can be with the timing of your routine the more likely you'll form a habit. 
• Track your progress: Create a calendar or visual where you can keep track of how often you're being successful with your desired routine. This will also help hold you accountable when you are self-evaluating.
• Reward yourself: It's hard to break old habits and create new ones! Giving yourself a small reward is encouraging and can make the routine more fun and exciting.

Let's say your 2022 goal/resolution is, "To increase my shooting percentage by xx% by the end of the basketball season" It's a specific, measurable, attainable and time-bound goal but what can you do to ensure you get there? This is where routine comes into play. You can commit to staying after practice and getting shots up for 30 minutes. 

3. Learn and Adapt 

Setbacks can be a big reason why many people give up on their New Year's resolutions. When it's mid-February and you're not making progress towards your resolution it's easy to not feel the same excitement and renewal that the New Year brings. 

Goals should be attainable but doesn't mean they will be easy or without challenges. These challenges will provide learning opportunities and you may need to adjust your routine in order to get back on track. 

Using the same example, you're putting in the work after practice but now your coach isn't playing you as much so you haven't had the opportunity to increase your shooting percentage in games. You now have an opportunity to communicate with your coach and find out what is needed in order to get more playing time. Change your view of the setback as motivation/fuel to continue to work and fight for your goals.

As you set and work towards your New Year's resolution focus on the routines and accountability measures you can put in place to make sure you see success! The journey to success is just as important as the end goal itself.