2022 has come to an end and with all endings come new beginnings. The new year is a perfect time to set goals, make big plans, and begin big changes no matter when you begin. Creating a list of new year’s resolutions is the perfect way to challenge yourself and embark on a journey of personal growth. However, there’s a variety of mistakes people often make when mapping out their plans for the new year. As humans, we tend to set unrealistic goals, causing us to impose too much change at once, making it extremely difficult to actually achieve anything. Within this article, you will find a myriad of pointers to keep in mind when making your resolutions this year to help you set realistic goals to make 2023 great!

Focus on the big three: behavioral, physical, and mental. When brainstorming your resolutions, categorizing them helps set a focus on where, specifically, feel you need the most growth as the new year approaches. Behavioral goals are specific to how you communicate with others and act within your relationships. Physical goals include building strength, making changes in your diet, or attending plans/ events. Lastly, mental goals fixate on growing in terms of your mindset, faith/ spirituality, intellect, or mental health. To start mapping out what types of goals you need to set, reflect on the past year. Where do you feel the least secure? What category do most of your regrets fall into? That’s where you begin.

Be concise. When thinking of potential resolutions, be as concise as possible.

Setting goals in extensive detail has many flaws. For instance, if you spend too much time worrying about how you are going to achieve every little aspect of your goal, you’re less likely to start the process altogether. In addition, if you do begin working towards your resolution but, in the end, don’t fulfill it to the exact extent you wished, you’re more prone to focus on what you didn’t achieve as opposed to everything you did accomplish. Being concise with your resolutions doesn’t mean setting lower expectations for yourself, but instead allowing yourself room for growth and appreciation with your efforts.

Make small changes. Often, people give up on their resolutions early on because they

convince themselves that the goal they set is unattainable or too difficult to sustain. Odds are that their plan to reach their goals just isn’t mapped out accordingly. The “all or nothing” mindset convinces people that to achieve their aspirations, they must make one major change to their lifestyle all at once. This is impractical because trying to change everything immediately, instead of instilling small progressive changes, doesn’t create a path for continuous growth. So, start small. Make the little changes first; they have a deceivingly huge impact.

Be patient. Keep in mind that you have an entire year to fully achieve your goals. This

doesn’t mean procrastinate because you have twelve months to do so, but be mindful that true growth (behavior, physical, or mental) takes time. Allow yourself time to become accustomed to the new habits and routines you’re instilling in your daily life. Allow yourself forgiveness when you find you come up short one day; you can try again tomorrow. And allow yourself grace when you start to think it’s too hard. Remind yourself of your worth. You are worth taking time to create positive change in your life. Be patient.

Check on your progress. As the year continues, don’t stray away from your resolutions.

Circle back to your initial goals and reflect on where you started in comparison to where you are now in fulfilling your desires. Have you made any progress? Do you notice a change in your mood? Are you proud of yourself? Continuously checking in on where you stand can provide extra motivation. It also creates an opportunity for you to positively affirm yourself with feelings of pride.

Write it down. Lastly, when using all these pointers to help shape your resolutions,

remember to write them down! Having a tangible list to look back on as a reminder of your personal goals and desires makes you more likely to take the steps necessary to fulfilling them. It may seem tedious but writing out your goals makes them real. It’s the first step to acknowledging all the changes, hopes, and plans that come with a new year. Plus, you can make it fun! Get a journal and some bright colored pens and create a list of goals that mean something to you.

Hopefully, this list helps provide some insight as you begin to brainstorm your resolutions for this wonderful new year. As one final note, remember to have fun. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t happen to achieve all your goals when the year concludes. Let this year bring nothing but growth and energy into your day-to-day life. Happy New Year!