Ten Tips to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

New Year's resolutions are a tradition for many worldwide, originating from the Babylonians over 4,000 years ago. And even back then, we bet people still had trouble sticking to their resolutions. Although they offer a fresh start and a chance to make positive changes, sometimes it's simply hard to build a new routine or kick an old habit.

Many of us start the new year with enthusiasm, only to lose momentum as the year progresses. Why does this happen? Often, it's due to a lack of effective strategies for maintaining our resolutions.

In this article, we'll go over the tradition of a New Year's resolution and offer ten practical tips to help you keep your New Year's resolutions. Whether you're aiming to improve your health, learn a new skill, or achieve a career milestone, these tips are a great start to becoming the best version of you.

To help, we'll also introduce IFTTT, our free automation service that helps millions all across the globe save time, stick to habits, and stay healthy and happy all year long. Best of all, using IFTTT requires no prior programming knowledge, and you can start connecting your favorite apps and services in just a few clicks.

What is a New Year's resolution?

New Year's resolutions are incredibly popular, as people challenge the long-held belief that most New Year's resolutions fail. In short, a New Year's Resolution is a personal commitment or goal that people set for themselves at the start of the new year. These resolutions typically focus on self-improvement, personal growth, or achieving specific objectives over the coming year. The tradition is rooted in the idea of starting fresh and making positive changes as a new calendar year begins.

Some common New Year's Resolutions include:

Health and fitness goals: Exercising more, eating healthier, or quitting smoking.

Personal development: Learning a new skill, reading more books, or practicing mindfulness.

Financial goals: Saving money, reducing debt, or sticking to a budget.

Relationships: Spending more quality time with family and friends or improving communication skills.

Professional aspirations: Advancing in a career, starting a business, or becoming more organized.

Tips for keeping your New Year's resolutions

Coming up with goals is easy; sticking to them is another story. Many people lose motivation throughout the year to keep making steps toward their goals, or others forget about their plans altogether. In the next sections, we'll go over ten actionable steps that are proven to help people like you stick to their goals.

We'll also talk about the importance of incorporating digital tools and automation services to make a bulletproof accountability system. Whether it be sending you daily reminders or logging progress in a journal, these tools can make it much easier to stay on track day after day.

1. Set realistic and achievable goals

The first step in your journey to a better you are setting goals. However, avoid setting goals that are too grand or require drastic changes overnight. Achievable goals are much easier to commit to.

It's crucial to understand your motivation behind each goal. Ask yourself why you want to achieve it and how it aligns with your personal growth. This understanding can keep you focused and committed. Avoid the common pitfall of setting vague resolutions. Instead, aim for specific goals that can be measured over time. For instance, "exercise more" is less effective than "exercise three times a week."

Consider the time and resources you'll need to achieve each goal. Break them down into achievable steps that align with your daily life. This way, you're less likely to feel overwhelmed and more likely to succeed.

2. Write down your resolutions

Writing down your resolutions is a powerful act. It solidifies your commitment and makes the goals more tangible. When you see your goals in writing, they feel more concrete, and you'll be more motivated to work on them.

To make the most of this strategy, consider organizing your goals into categories. For instance:

Personal growth: Learn a new skill or language.

Health: Exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet.

Career: Achieve a specific performance milestone or promotion.

Don't hesitate to revise your list as necessary. Life circumstances change, and your goals should adapt accordingly. Revisiting and updating your written resolutions ensures they remain relevant and motivating throughout the year.

3. Embrace the SMART criteria

The SMART criteria is a cornerstone of effective goal setting. First gaining traction in business settings, many have applied the SMART acronym to their personal lives too.

Each letter in SMART stands for a key component. "Specific" means your goal should be well-defined, while "Measurable" ensures you can track your progress. "Achievable" reminds you to set realistic targets, "Relevant" aligns goals with your personal values, and "Time-bound" involves setting a deadline to keep you focused.

For example, instead of simply resolving to "exercise more," use SMART to refine this into "run for 30 minutes, three times a week, for the next month." This refined goal provides a clear roadmap for success.

4. Break down larger goals

Large goals can feel overwhelming. To tackle them effectively, break them into smaller tasks. This way, each step becomes achievable. Start by identifying the major components of your goal. For example, if your goal is to learn a new language, consider breaking it down into specific skills. Focus on vocabulary, grammar, and conversational practice individually.

As you progress, celebrate small wins. Acknowledge each step toward achieving the larger goal. This positive reinforcement boosts your confidence, helping you maintain momentum and personal growth. Remember, incremental progress leads to a big win over time.

5. Maintain motivation and momentum

Staying motivated throughout the year can be challenging. Begin by identifying your "why." Understanding the deep reasons behind your goals fuels your drive.

Visual reminders of your goals can help too. Create vision boards or write affirmations that resonate with your personal growth journey. Place them where you'll see them daily.

Music is a powerful motivator. Curate playlists with songs that boost your mood and energy. Use these during workouts or tasks related to your resolutions for an extra push. Lastly, celebrate even small achievements. Each step forward is progress worth acknowledging.

6. Track your progress regularly

Monitoring your progress is crucial for achieving your resolutions. It helps you identify what's working and where you need to adjust. Use tools like journals, apps, or spreadsheets to log your achievements and challenges. This systematic approach keeps you organized and focused.

A great way to track your progress is through IFTTT, our automation service that can send you reminders, daily journal logs, or even track time spent online or at a job. With a few clicks, you can enable millions of pre-made automations, or build your own custom automation with our user-friendly Applet builder.

7. Build a support system

Some believe that keeping your goals to yourself is the best way to achieve them. However, it turns out that surrounding yourself with supportive people is key to sticking with your resolutions. A network of friends or family can offer encouragement and keep you accountable. Their support can make a significant difference when you face challenges.

Consider finding an accountability partner. This person can hold you to your commitments and celebrate your successes. Having someone who shares your goals or understands your journey can enhance your motivation and resolve. You can find these types of people in online communities or in-person gatherings.

8. Form new habits for success

Building new habits is essential for achieving your goals. Start by identifying small, daily actions that align with your resolutions. Consistency in these actions will gradually transform them into habits.

Focus on one habit at a time. Trying to change too much at once can be overwhelming and lead to burnout. Prioritizing one area allows you to concentrate your energy effectively, making success more attainable.

Utilize triggers or cues to reinforce your new habits. For example, if you want to exercise in the morning, lay out your workout clothes the night before. These triggers will remind you of your intentions and make it easier to follow through.

9. Be flexible and adapt

Flexibility is a key component in the journey toward achieving your resolutions. Life is unpredictable, and circumstances can change, requiring you to adjust your plans. Embracing this mindset will prevent unnecessary frustration and help you stay on track.

Adapt your goals when needed, but ensure they remain aligned with your core values. This doesn't mean abandoning your resolutions; it means finding different paths to achieve them. Sometimes, a shift in strategy is all it takes to keep progressing.

10. Reward yourself and celebrate wins

So, you've stuck to your goal, now you deserve congratulations. Celebrating wins keeps youmotivated and each step toward your goal is important. Rewards, no matter how small, play a big role in maintaining enthusiasm.

Tailor your rewards to reflect your interests and preferences. They can be as simple as a movie night or a day off. This recognition boosts your morale and reminds you of your dedication to your goals.

Smashing your goals with IFTTT

New Year's resolution suggestions with IFTTT

Reducing your screen time

The average person spends almost 7 hours each day looking at a device. If you want to learn a new skill, spend more time with family, or improve your health, a great goal is to start putting down the phone. This helps free up more time to do the things you love. Our integrations with Rescue Time and others make it easy to stay accountable and on track in reducing your screen time.

Save money

Tired of wondering where all your hard-earned money went? With IFTTT, our automations make it simple to track your finances, as well as set aside change to save. Our partnership with Qapital allows users to automatically put money into savings for all sorts of events, and automation with Google Sheets lets you log every transaction accurately.

Stay updated on what matters

Maybe you've been out of the loop on local news or want to learn more about a certain subject. Our automations can alert you of important news, forward articles that match your interest, or notify you of critical weather conditions.

IFTTT and resolutions

Looking for that one extra push to propel you to the best version of you? Look no further than IFTTT, the most trusted automation service for small businesses, health, fitness, and productivity optimizers.

The basic idea behind IFTTT is to create "Applets" or sets of instructions that trigger when certain conditions are met. This can be turning on the lights automatically when you enter your house, or automatically turning on your security system when you leave.

Founded in 2011, IFTTT has since been used by over 30 million individuals around the globe to automate both small business and smart home tasks. It's used to connect over 1000 different services and systems, making all products and services work well together in a way that instills user confidence. Best of all, it's free to start and only takes a couple of minutes to set up.