11 Easy Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

11 Easy Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

We’ve all been there. It’s so easy to get carried away by the promise of a clean slate and jump into the new year with a running start … just to burn out by February. Whether you are hoping to liven up and organize your house, get healthy, save money or find out something new, the key to success is in your own approach.

Instead of creating a long list of settlements on January 1 and leaving it at that, take it a few steps farther. From high-tech solutions like accomplishing your aims and receiving mobile reminders, to refreshingly low-tech methods like resolution charts and sticky notes, then here are a plethora of suggestions to make maintaining your settlements as simple as possible. Happy new year! Let us make this the best one yet.

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1. Keep a resolutions chart. This way is old school, but because Gretchen Rubin swears by it into her popular book The Happiness Project, I’m convinced it’s worth a shot. The concept is to hold yourself accountable daily through the practice of checking boxes at a graph — low tech but effective.

2. Utilize the 10-minute rule. Resolutions have this funny way of overwhelming us before we even begin. Instead of searching for large chunks of time to dedicate to your goal, take a few minutes today and list as many resolution-related jobs because you can think of that can be accomplished within 10 minutes or less. Making a phone call, checking a website, sending an email and doing a few sets of crunches all would fit in that time frame.

3. Make it something you love. Why must we always make resolutions which we dread? Instead of (or in addition to) the usual “eat healthy” and “exercise more,” why not include something you are really aching to do but never make time for? Make it a resolution to reduce and arrange more flowers from the garden, browse one fun novel each month or throw more parties.

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4. Establish mobile reminders. Most web-based calendars, such as Google Calendar, allow you to set up recurring events with email or text reminders, making those trips to the gym a bit harder to “forget” Or, if optimum health is your goal, try My Healthy Habits, a free program for your own iPhone.

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5. Break it into measures. If your resolution is a sizable undertaking, like organizing your house from top to base, it would be wise to break it down into baby steps. Try mapping out a demanding schedule for the year in advance, covering one part of your goal each month — bedrooms in January, living room in February and so on.

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6. Produce visual reminders. Taping up notes and placing essential tools at which you won’t miss them might help, particularly when you are first trying to adopt a new custom. As an example, if you would like to start a no-shoes policy in your home, consider keeping a set of slippers close to the doorway along with a bench and boot tray at hand for leaving outdoor shoes behind.

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7. Join a group. The social setting and company time commitment make joining a set a winning approach for nearly any resolution. Can’t find a set that meets your needs? Why don’t you survey your friends and see if anybody is interested in starting one? Crafting, interior layout, hiking — the sky is your limit.

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8. Make it automatic. Technology can be your friend when it comes to remembering daily customs. Trying to slash power bills this season? Install a thermostat you can control through the gadget itself or through your smartphone. Want to save cash for that designer seat you’ve got your eye on? Have money mechanically deposited into an earmarked savings accounts.

Watch more phone-controlled tech gadgets

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9. Allow it to be pleasant. Working out is more appealing when you’re able to lace up cute new sneakers, and keeping up with all the weeding could be assisted along with good tools and a tasty smelling bar of gardener’s soap for cleaning up afterward. Go on and treat yourself!

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10. Garner support from nearest and dearest. Having psychological support from the significant people in your life can make or break your resolve. From providing you gentle nudges and reminders (kids are surprisingly good at this), to celebrating with you once you’ve reached a goal, sharing your aims with supportive relatives and friends can only assist. However, don’t bother withdrawing support from people you know tend to be judgmental — you don’t require that negativity.

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11. Restrict yourself to one goal. Even if you have many targets you would like to undertake this season, if you can narrow down it just 1 to focus on first, your odds of succeeding will be a lot higher. Multitasking is hard on the best of days, and trying to maintain too many settlements is bound to result in a ball dropped somewhere. Instead, opt to focus on laser-like precision on one thing — and be sure to reward yourself amply once you succeed!

More: 10 Terrific Aids for Your New Year’s Resolutions

Inform us What’s worked or not worked for you in terms of keeping settlements in the past? If you are making resolutions for 2013, what are you going to try out this season?

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