Do Your New Year’s Resolutions Need a Reboot?

Do Your New Year’s Resolutions Need a Reboot?

Are you among those people who started the New Year with some well-intentioned resolutions only to find that your resolve has dwindled? Perhaps those goals that have slipped below the horizon of your consciousness during the day come back to haunt you at night like an insect buzzing around your head as you try to fall asleep.  

According to statistics, by February 42% of us who made resolutions have not maintained them. We share your pain. We know the feeling when our willpower is on life-support and the loudest voice we hear is shouting self-criticism and blame.

It’s not easy to feel like you set yourself up for failure back on January 1. Statistics also tell us that 42% of Americans fail to achieve their established goals on a regular basis with only 9% feeling they had a successful outcome.  However, and here is the good news to hang your hope on, people who start out the year with defined resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve their goals than those who do not make any.

Tips to Help You Restart Successfully

Take heart the game is still afoot! Every time the sun pops up out of the horizon and begins a new day offers us another opportunity to start over and to achieve our goals. Let’s begin with some general tips to help strengthen your resolve.

• Forgive yourself. Change is not easy but it is attainable. Remember that successful people are the ones that have faced failure, learned from the experience and tried again.
• Overnight success is rare. Be realistic and have a plan. Whether your resolution is to get out of debt, save for a downpayment on a home, lose 30 pounds or get fit be aware that you’re in it for the long haul.
• Track your progress. Set shorter term goals that are achievable so that you don’t get discouraged. This will also inspire you to keep focused. Remember, success leads to more success.
• Be your own best friend and cheerleader. Believe in yourself or at least give yourself the benefit of doubt.   
• Reward yourself. When you reach short-term goals on the way to the whole enchilada, turn it into a celebration.
• Engage your family and friends in your journey. Nothing says you have to do it alone. Walk or run with a friend or join a club or support group.
• Be inspired by others. There are successful people everywhere and in all fields of life right here in our own Twin Cities Metro. Listen to some stories on the Minnesota Influence and don't be surprised if you hear from someone you know! 

The Internet is a Valuable Free or Low-Cost Resource 

We are lucky today that we have resources aimed to help us be successful available on the internet. There are apps to help us stay focused and track our progress for our smartphones and tablets. By all means, engage them. Most are free or available at a nominal cost so I ask you, what’s not to like?

The 10 Most Popular New Year Resolutions

Here are some suggestions we found for keeping you focused.

1. Lose weight or eat healthier. There are many different options for healthier eating and weight loss, way too many to mention them all. Tried and true, millions of people have lost millions of pounds collectively over the years on Weight Watchers. The Mayo Clinic diet also offers an online program including meal plans. Another great resource for healthy eating recipes is Pinterest. Need more help? There are numerous apps available for both Android and iPhone that do everything from counting calories, tracking your progress and even helping you make healthy choices when you dine out. My personal favorite choice for everything fitness related is MyFitnessPal.  
2. Get organized.  Personally, I am a huge fan of organization because it is the only way I seem to be able to find things when I need them. My favorite website for everything home related is The Spruce. If you need to organize everything else in your life you need Evernote. It's like having your own personal assistant. Your welcome. 
3. Get out of debt. This subject could easily be an entire article in its own right.  Or a book even! But basically for our purposes here whether you are resolved to pay off your student loans or those high-interest credit card balances you need to begin by making a budget. Some great resources include Nerd Wallet, Mint.com, and Geezeo.com.
   
4. Save money. See resources for getting out of debt because you need a budget for this one too. In addition, Forbes has a great article on apps that will help you to manage your finances and save money regularly.  Also, check out my earlier post on passive saving where I share some suggestions I have personally road tested as painless ways to save every month. 
5. Exercise regularly.  This can be a difficult goal to stick to for many people. Find something you like to do so exercise becomes fun rather than a chore. Walking is the most recommended exercises to improve health and fitness, and it’s free. Buy yourself a pair of decent walking shoes and get moving. To keep from getting bored when walking listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks. Need to track your progress or find inspiration. Check out this article from Marie Claire.  
6. Read more. Join a book group and increase your reading while making new friends at the same time. Most libraries have reading groups or can recommend a community group you can join. If you need inspiration on what to read, again your local library website can help. Other great online resources are Oprah’s Book Club, Amazon, and Goodreads. You can also check out these 22 apps that might get you fired up. If you are a book lover like me, check out one of my favorite sites for inspiration, The Modern Mrs. Darcy. 
   
7. Help others. Check out your local community website for options in your city. Not sure how you can help? Here is a great article to get you started. 
8. Learn something new. Whether you want to learn a new language, play an instrument, knit a sweater, grow vegetables or improve your home you can find how to videos on YouTube. It’s a great resource. 
9. Find true love. I'm not moonlighting as a shadchanit so I’m giving you this link to the 10 best dating websites and after that, you are on your own. 
10. Buy a home.  Best advice if you live in the Twin Cities – Call Joe Houghton! Here is a review one of our clients recently left on our Facebook page: 

I always thought buying a home was supposed to be stressful, but working with Minnesota Property Group proved me wrong. Joe and his very knowledgeable team made the process incredibly easy and he continually made himself available to show me homes on short notice. I would absolutely recommend Joe if you're looking to buy your dream house and will certainly be working with him in the future! - Kelly Kross Kratz

Thanks for the kind words Kelly!

Other posts you may like: 2017 Favorites from Our Twin Cities Home Blog, Is 2018 The Year of The Home?