New Year's Resolutions

For many people, the New Year is a synonym for a new start. That is why they make New Year’s resolutions. The New Year is a great opportunity to sum up your successes and think about things you would like to improve in the future. The sad truth is that a lot of people don’t fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. In the beginning, they are keen on changing their habits to have a happier life. Imagine a fitness center. It’s crowded in January, but not so much in February. This doesn’t apply only to physical exercise, but also to studying.  Why is that? Are there any hacks to help people to keep their initial enthusiasm? Read on.

Be specific.

When you make a New Year’s resolution, be specific as much as possible. The resolution I must go to the gym more often doesn’t work very well. You go there once, twice, maybe three times, and that’s it. Instead of that, try to dedicate certain days and hours to the gym. This way you can write them into your diary and know exactly when to go. After some time, going to the gym becomes a pleasant routine.

If you study for your entrance exams to your dream university, set yourself a specific goal. Ask yourself these questions: What days am I going to study? What time am I going to study? How long are my study sessions going to be? After answering these questions, you have a perfect plan for your exam preparation.

Have sustainable goals.

The key to persevering in anything you do is sustainability. Give yourself goals you can manage. If you decide to go to the gym every day, there will soon come a day when you won’t have time for it. Then there might be more such days. Not being able to reach your goal causes frustration. In the end, this will lead to you quitting with your workouts. If you decide to go to the gym twice a week, it will be much easier for you. And if you go there more times a week, that’s perfect! You will be proud of yourself for fulfilling your goal and holding on to your resolution. The workout sessions above those twice a week count as a bonus.

The same thing applies to studying. If you decide to study a foreign language for an hour every day, you might soon find yourself overwhelmed and frustrated because of not fulfilling what you have originally planned. If you decide to study a foreign language for five minutes every day, that is perfect. This is easily achievable. If you manage to study longer, you have done a great job. If you have studied only for those five minutes you have promised yourself, that is great too. You have achieved your daily goal.

Write down your goals.

If you have any plans, it can help to write everything down on a piece of paper. You can also use a special journal. After fulfilling a task, you can make a tick. This way you visualize your hard work. Seeing all those ticks on your list is very rewarding. Also, writing down your goals helps you not to forget about anything.

Remember, you can always make a change in your life. You don’t have to wait for the New Year to come. Have a great year. Hopefully, it will be a good one.