How to stick to your New Year’s resolutions

Resolutions are easy to make but hard to keep. So if you’re drawing up your resolutions for 2019, here is our guide to making them stick.

Declare it – This is a perfect time to actually put social media to good use. There’s no point of keeping your resolutions to yourself – the pressure isn’t enough, honestly. Let your colleagues, friends, and family in on your plans. If you’re trying to lose weight, for example, they definitely cannot run for you, but at least they’ll stop tempting you with cinnamon buns every morning.

Be specific – Just saying ‘I’ll learn something new’ isn’t enough. New could be anything – a language, a sport or a musical instrument; and that learning might take longer than you expect. Set measurable goals, give it a time frame, and figure out the means to achieve it.

Address one at a time – Don’t commit to too many things in one shot. Give yourself time to get used to a new change before commencing the next.

Be flexible – So the first day of the year is significant, but if you think about it, it’s just a date. For some unfortunate reason, if you can’t implement your life-changing plans immediately, or end up breaking your resolution only a week later, don’t fret over it. It’s perfectly alright to start again, even if it’s in the middle of another week.

Set reminders – It’s easy to go astray when you don’t have reminders. You can put technology to use, but it’s a good idea to also get your close ones involved. Having a real person tell you something repeatedly is harder to ignore.

Reward frequently – Be generous with your rewards when you’ve really earned them. Instead of a single reward at the very end of the journey, motivate yourself with smaller, more frequent rewards on the way.

Reflect on what didn’t work – This is probably not the first time you are making a resolution. Give yourself some time to figure out why you weren’t able to meet particular aims the last time. Avoid repeating the same mistakes. As they say, sometimes failures are the best teachers.

Find partners – We all need the occasional pep talk. Others who share your interest will help you to stick to your goals. Take time out to discuss common goals, plan ahead, and keep a check on each other’s progress.

Visualise – See yourself actually accomplishing those goals. Manifestation is said to work wonders. Besides, the clearer you see it, the more you’d want it; that’s motivation right there.

Self-motivation – To accomplish anything, one must stay focused. Though finding things and people to motivate you on the way is essential, the real motivation must be from within.

Antara Bose is a model turned fashion and beauty consultant. A popular blogger, anchor, and voice over artist, she maintains a deep connection with the local fashion industry and is passionate about discovering and celebrating aspiring talent as well as promoting animal rights. For fashion updates with a side of humour and sarcasm follow Antara on instagram