Every New Year, millions of people make New Year’s Resolutions. It might be to lose weight, get in shape, start a new hobby, and make new friends. The sad news is that research shows that only 8% of people actually achieve their resolutions! If you want to achieve a New Year’s Resolution, here are our top strategies:

1. Set a theme for the year

Some people find it helpful to pick a word or phrase for the year. This helps them to focus on one big idea versus trying to master all these specific goals at once. You might pick “Love”. This might mean that you want to love your body better by taking better care of it (working out, eating a little healthier), love your coworkers or customers better, or even your family.

2. Set smaller goals throughout the year

Goals like “Work out every day in January” just are not that feasible, especially if you are a person who hasn’t worked out at all in December. Set a smaller goal like find a workout you enjoy doing, or go to the gym once a week for the first 2 months of the year, and then twice a week for the next few months. When our goals are smaller and throughout the year, it helps it seem more “doable”, which means we are more likely to do them!

3. Have someone keep you accountable

When we set our own resolutions but don’t have anyone to check in on us, it’s more than likely that we won’t. However, when we have someone texting us to remind us to finish up that update on our resume to send out, or asking if we went to the gym, we have accountability. Most people have a close friend or family member that can help keep them accountable. If not, you may want to ask a coworker you trust. It helps when you are both helping each other stay accountable to your goals.

4. Celebrate the Small Steps

While we will all have minor setbacks in our goals, it’s important to celebrate the small steps forward. Got a phone interview? Celebrate! Be encouraged even if that’s as far as it goes.

Ready to make a small goal to advance your career? Our team would love to help! Happy New Year!