6 tips to finally achieve your New Year's resolutions

Be as specific as possible

Many resolutions fail before the end of January because they are too vague. “I'm going to exercise more” sounds good and is certainly useful, but what do you mean by it? Are you going to sign up at the gym or take your bike to work? The more clearly you formulate your resolution, the easier it is to achieve. For example: “I'm going to play tennis with my father every Wednesday and Friday afternoon.”

Set realistic goals

It's tempting to charge into the new year at full throttle, but then there's a good chance you'll throw in the towel after all. So start with clear but achievable goals. Instead of: “I'm not eating any more chocolate”, you can start with: “I only eat one little chocolate in the evening with my coffee.” From there you can gradually adjust your goal. Give yourself time.

Make it fun for yourself

Resolutions are a good way to work on yourself, but make sure you do it because you want to yourself. Your motivation won't last long under pressure. The same applies if you have to do something you don't enjoy at all. Try to link fun activities or hobbies to your resolution, such as: “I listen to my favourite podcasts while exercising.”

Don’t be too hard on yourself

Despite the best will in the world, you still grabbed a croquette in the canteen or couldn't bring yourself to exercise in the evening. Instead of quitting your resolution, it's wise to give yourself room to slip up once or twice. Thanks to that leeway, you'll have more motivation to get it right next time.

Build up a strong sentence

This sounds more dramatic than it is, but it can be a stronger motivator than rewarding yourself every time. For instance, you can appoint someone to check in on your progress regularly. By the way, don't punish yourself for the results you achieve, but for undesirable behaviour. Examples of punishments are: donating to a good cause or buying a round on a busy evening at your local pub.

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