How to stick with your New Year's resolutions

As we approach the new year, many of us are focusing on starting fresh with our New Year’s resolutions. The struggle many people face with resolutions is that they can be difficult to maintain for more than a few weeks. No matter what you’re working on in 2022, here are some tips on how you can stick to your New Year’s resolutions all year long.



Set goals

It’s hard to be motivated when you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. That’s why it’s important to set a specific, well-defined goal to aim for. If you’re unsure how to begin, try making a SMART goal.

A SMART goal is:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time based¹

A SMART goal for someone who wants to save money might look like this:

I will save $1,200 this year by putting 10% of every paycheck in my savings account each month ($100/ month) between January 2022 and January 2023. 

The goal of saving $1,200 is specific and easily measurable at the end of the year. The goal has been made achievable by setting aside 10% of the monthly paycheck and is relevant to the end goal of saving $1,200 in the January 2022 – 2023 time frame. 

Make your financial, physical and mental wellbeing a priority

Many of us make new year's resolutions related to improving our physical wellbeing, but don't forget about your financial and mental health! All of these areas of our lives impact each other and contribute to our overall health. A great way to help protect yourself financially and put your mind at ease is to review your health benefits and understand your policy options. In particular, take a look at which voluntary benefits your employer offers. Some common voluntary benefits are life insurance, hospital insurance, critical illness, accident, disability, dental and vision insurance. These products can help protect your financial wellbeing in the case of unexpected medical expenses helping you to stay on track for your goals (both New Years and otherwise).

Make a plan

Now that you have a goal in mind, how do you get there? It helps to create a detailed plan of action that you can implement on a regular basis to help support your end goal. To make a plan, lay out a roadmap that helps you visualize your journey. You can be creative– maybe you use a calendar, draw an actual roadmap or make a detailed outline. Whatever works for you and the type of goal you’re setting. 

When creating your plan, it may be helpful to work backward, starting with your main goal or resolution in mind. From there, what are some smaller steps or goals you can set on a quarterly or monthly basis? What can you do on a weekly and daily basis to support your goal? The more specific you can be the better!

Have a partner

Many people lose sight of their New Year’s resolutions because they aren’t held accountable. When you’re too tired to exercise one morning, it’s easy to press the snooze button and let it be your own little secret. But soon, one morning turns into three, and you might give up on your resolution all together. Having a partner who’s in it with you helps you push through those times when it’s tough to keep going. You can motivate each other when it’s tempting to give up and challenge one another to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.

Schedule regular check-ins

Whatever your goal is related to, scheduling a regular check-in with yourself or your accountability partner is a great way to stay on track. You can set your check-ins weekly, monthly, or even every few months depending on your goal. Keeping track of your progress throughout the year will help you know whether you need to adjust your actions or if you’re on your way to achieving your goal. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself

Nobody’s perfect. Life gets crazy and routines can be thrown out of whack. If you do stray from the New Year’s resolutions you set, do not worry! While the beginning of the year is a great time for reflection and looking toward the future, there’s never a wrong time to set new goals. You can always decide to start fresh no matter how long it’s been! 

We set New Year’s resolutions because we want to improve our lives. Although we set these goals with good intentions, life can be hectic and we may lose sight of the vision we had for ourselves at the beginning of the year. Use these tangible tips to help keep that vision at the forefront of your mind and set yourself up for a great year!

¹The Balance Small Business. 5 Elements of a SMART Business Goal. 2019.