2015 is fast approaching and with the New Year comes new beginnings and a renewed sense of motivation for many. A New Year’s resolution gives people hope and anticipation for the coming year. People vow to do better, to be better.
According to a poll conducted by the University of Scranton, the most popular New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight, get organized, spend less and save more money, spend more time with family, fall in love and quit smoking.
The same poll revealed that only about 45% of Americans actually make a New Year’s resolution while 38% of Americans refuse to set lofty goals for the coming year.
However, according to the poll, people who openly make resolutions are ten times more likely to attain their goal than those who don’t.
Close to 75% of Americans who made a resolution keep it through the first week of the year, but that statistic drops to 64% after the first month and 46% after six months.
If you’re struggling to kick those bad habits or start up the good ones, here are some tips to help keep you on track in 2015:
1. Start small. Make goals that are realistic and that you actually want to achieve for yourself.
2. Be specific. Always write down your goals and put them somewhere you can see them every day.
3. Make a plan. It can be daunting to think about doing (or not doing) a task for an entire year. Come up with steps you can take along the way to help you achieve your goals.
4. Share your goals with others. Letting someone in on what you’re trying to accomplish can help you hold yourself accountable and adds to your motivation
5. Forgive yourself. Everybody is going to mess up on occasion, but that’s no reason to give up on your resolutions. If you make a mistake, that’s okay. Just move on and vow to keep trying to do better.