As the new year rolls around, it is a time of fun, cheer, festivities, and most important of all, resolutions. Everyone is thinking, “this is my year, I’m going to be the best version of myself ever”. But…more often than not, we find ourselves quitting pretty early. If you’ve found yourself with a million different resolutions, but don’t know how you’ll follow through, use some of these strategies to hold yourself accountable this year.

• Focus on building good habits rather than achieving a specific goal that’s set in stone. Flexibility is okay, but laziness is not.
• Consistency is crucial; even if the quality of whatever you do isn’t the best, the act of being consistent is still very beneficial. Doing pushups, for example, even if only five pushups, is better than doing none.
• Make sure to start small; make the goal simple, fast, and most importantly, doable. Don’t strive to play two hours of a new instrument every day.
• Being very specific allows you not to be able to make excuses for yourself.
• For some resolutions, planning it out in advance allows you to be able to follow through more easily. Planning also makes the goal seem less intimidating, as everything is already set out. Do part of the work now, so you don’t have to worry about it once you get going.
• It may be helpful to tell family or friends about the resolution so that they can help you achieve it; they can motivate you and keep you on track.
• Set a timeline and put it somewhere you see it every day. On your phone, computer, in your room, Google Calendar, whatever works for you.
• Make some sort of vision board and put it in your room + give yourself little rewards at the end (because who doesn’t want a good incentive?)
• Journal your accomplishments! Whenever you have a meh day, look at your past experiences to lift your mood.
• Try to never have zero days. If your goal is to work out every day, but one day you don’t have the motivation? Just stretch for a couple of minutes. Moving your body a little bit is better than not moving it at all.
• Find whatever works for you. It might take some time. Everyone is different, and what works for one person may not work for another.
• Most importantly, remember that change doesn’t happen overnight. Keeping your room clean on January 2nd doesn’t mean it’ll stay like that until December 31st. Again, start small and focus on good habits instead of a big goal.

A new year is a great opportunity for personal growth. A positive mindset combined with a strong resolution is a solid way for self-improvement. Hopefully, with these tips, you get to accomplish whatever it is that you set your mind to this year.