2019: New Year’s Resolutions You Can Stick To

It’s 2019, and you’ve probably made a list of New Year’s resolutions, with the best of intentions for seeing them through. The top resolutions identified in a 2017 survey by online stats portal Statista included saving money, getting in shape or losing weight, having more sex, quitting smoking and finding love. But the resolutions we aspire to are not always practical or even doable. According to statistics, 80% fail before even the second week of February! Here are tips on how to make resolutions that are more likely to stick.

Getting Healthy

We’ve probably all made this resolution – you wake up on New Year’s Day and promise you’re going to switch the party, over-indulgent lifestyle you’ve got used to over the holiday season for a healthy one. However, before you open a glossy magazine and make sweeping statements about what getting healthy should mean, narrow it down to what it means for you. For one person, it may mean quitting smoking or drinking less; for another it may mean getting more physically active; and for others it may simply mean getting more sleep. Getting healthy should start with that doctor’s visit that you keep putting off, for an annual general checkup. After that, be realistic in what you aim for. Instead of promising yourself that you’re going to work out every single day for eternity, it would sound less daunting and more realistic if you planned to exercise 2 or max 3 times a week. Aim a little lower, and you’re less likely to burn out after a month and quit.

Smart Spending

Another typical New Year’s resolution is that you’re going stop treating yourself, cut down on all unnecessary expenses – no mini-breaks, no dining out – and save some money. A smarter statement might be that you’re going to create a budget and stick to it. This does involve spending with discretion and there is no right or wrong way to do it, but keep it as simple as possible (check on Google for examples and use Excel to help you keep track). To simplify the process of budgeting, start by getting rid of those extra credit cards – use just one that you can really keep on top of. You don’t have to be extreme, but spending smart is a great start.

Dreaming of a Dream Job

There’s more to landing your dream job than just making some general statement of intent and then waiting for the recruitment gods to intervene. Start to make things happen for yourself by aiming for a more realistic goal of broadening your professional network. You can find opportunities through people you already know — on LinkedIn, for example, you can connect with people you’ve worked with in the past and ask them to recommend you. Potential connections can also see your CV in your LinkedIn profile, so you don’t have to send it out into the unknown on multiple job portals. If you already know the company you want to work at, try using your existing contacts to find our who has connections there that could get you an ‘in’.

It doesn’t hurt to aim high – after all, if you don’t quite reach your goals you should still be getting somewhere. But perhaps it will be the more practical and realistic resolutions that win out.

written by: Sheryl Katz