3 Tips to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions More Fresh

Been there, done that. Have you ever made a long list of ambitious New Year's resolutions – and then forgotten about them 3 weeks later?

We set New Year’s resolutions with the best of intentions. Go to the gym more often. Pack healthy lunches for work. Quit a bad habit. Learn a new skill. Spend more time with family and friends. Get more organized. Tackle that long-overdue project.

Why then do our good intentions so often slip away from us, leaving us feeling defeated?

It’s probably because the New Year’s resolutions we set often aren’t fresh and inspired. They don’t motivate us enough to actually make the changes in our lives. While they sound good on paper or in our minds, they don’t really light us up.

This year, you want to set resolutions that are fun and motivating. Resolutions that will actually make 2020 better. Here are the 3 must-know tips you need to know:

Tip #1: Look Back Before You Look Forward

Before you leap forward, pause for a moment and look back. Do an honest assessment of 2019. What were your goals last year? Where did you succeed, and where did you fail? Where did you make progress? What are you most proud of in 2019? What brought you the most joy? What are the areas of your life where you saw the most growth?

Pausing to take a personal inventory will help to prepare you for the next step.

Tip #2: Set Resolutions You Actually Want to Keep

OK, this one sounds obvious, right? But it’s surprising how many people set goals to please other people. Your boss, your partner or good old-fashioned peer pressure may influence you. Make sure that your resolutions are what YOU want, not what someone else wants.

Consider what you learned by doing your personal assessment. Look at the areas of your life that brought you a lot of joy, and the areas that you want to improve on. What’s the most important to you? What benefits your life? What are your top priorities? What aligns with your personal values? What do you dream about? Pick goals that tick these boxes, and you’ll be much more motivated to stick with them.

Tip #3: Keep It Simple

Sure, it would be awesome to do it all. To learn a new language, take up guitar, get in great shape, begin cooking all your meals from scratch and start leaving work at 5pm on the dot. But be honest with yourself. Is that going to happen in one year?

Be realistic and set goals that are achievable. When we achieve our goals and keep our promises to ourselves, we build inner confidence and strength. This helps us to continue to set and reach even bigger goals. Keeping our promises builds momentum. Setting goals that are unrealistic and too hard to reach does the opposite.

Next, set concrete actions steps for how you’re going to go about actually achieving your goals.

Final (Bonus) Tip: Set #FRESH Goals

You’ve heard of setting SMART goals.

SMART goals are:

• Specific: clear and specific, so you know exactly where you’re heading and how to get there.
• Measurable: defined and quantifiable so you can track your progress.
• Attainable: realistic and achievable so that being successful is totally possible.
• Relevant: worthwhile, in line with your values and applicable to your lifestyle.
• Time-Sensitive: with a clearly-defined deadline so you have something to work toward.

Smart, we agree. But SMART goals are missing one key thing: fun!

May we recommend a new way of setting goals and resolutions: the FRESH way.

FRESH goals are:

• Fun: because fun goals are so much easier to keep!
• Realistic: keep it doable, and don’t try to tackle too much, too fast.
• Exciting: pick goals that light you up and align with your core values.
• Stick-to-it-able: we can’t emphasize this one enough! Be pragmatic and start small.
• Heart-felt: make sure your heart’s in it when you pick a resolution, and that you’re not influenced by outside pressure or what you think you “should” be doing.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? We’d love to hear them, and sharing them can help keep you accountable. Join us on Facebook and Instagram to let us know and for more fresh tips, news and updates. See you there!