Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions- Do This Instead

January 1, 2020

Since it’s January, many people are thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. However, most people give those up by January 12. So, rather than having New Year’s Resolutions- do this instead…

Step 1: Ask Yourself These Questions Instead of Making New Year’s Resolutions

What do I need to change in my life?
Where have I been successful so far?
What are my failures?
How do I define success?
What have I yet to accomplish?
What motivates me?
What are my fears?
What is my current state?
What is the future state- where do I want to go?
What’s the gap? What’s missing? What actions will take me there?
What habits does the future me have that the current me does not have?

Taking some time out of your life to be still and reflect on these questions will help you understand what you want. Once you know what you want, the last few questions will help you figure out how to bridge the gap between getting where you are now to where you want to be.

Step 2: Change Your Habits Instead of Making New Year’s Resolutions

Once you’ve asked yourself these questions it’s time to work on changing your habits. I really like this article on habits.

Basically, here are the steps for creating a new habit:

Figure out a small, specific action that you want to become a habit
Make the action from step one super easy to do
Add in visual cues and reminders

For example, if you want to eat better, define what that means specifically. For example, it could mean, “I will have meatless Mondays every week of the year.”

Next, make that step easy by planning out what you’ll have each Monday and buying the ingredients.

Finally, you can add cues and reminders by putting it on your calendar, writing it on your fridge, etc. If you have the goal of creating a habit about saving more or paying off debt, check out some of these downloadable visual cues that can help you with these habits.

Step 3: Roll with the Punches When New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Last

Stuff happens. For example, I was doing really well with a workout routine before I became pregnant. Then, the first-trimester fatigue set in and I decided to prioritize sleep over waking up early to work out.

Life is always a moving target, and stuff happens, so don’t be too hard on yourself. If something doesn’t work when something changes in your life, just make more changes. You can go back to step one, ask yourself the questions listed, and start the process over based on your new reality.

Other posts you might like:

If you’re thinking about things you want to change in your life, here are some posts that might help you make those changes:

7 Simple Budgeting Steps

How to Coupon: The Complete Beginner’s Guide

How to Look Expensive on a Budget

Side Hustle Ideas: Over 200 Ways to Make Money on the Side

Guest Post: Easy Ways to Get Started with Investing

Also, if you’re interested in tools to help with budgeting, check out the worksheets I have in my Etsy shop.

Rachel Jimenez

Rachel Jimenez is passionate about personal finance, passive income, and positive psychology. She is known for being a top digital product seller on Etsy, and loves sharing side hustle and money tips so people can reach financial independence and live the life of their dreams.

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