Part of the New Year, New Me ‘official’ guidelines is that a resolution must be decided upon before the clock strikes 12 and we enter a new year. The feeling of confidence, positivity and determination run through your veins as you are ready to enter this new chapter in your life. However, a few weeks into the new year an unused gym card lays at the bottom of your rucksack and a packet of crisps has been consumed every day. It then seems to become apparent that you are being constantly reminded of your failed resolution.

However, if you choose your New Year’s resolution carefully and make sure to not overestimate your ability to say no to your temptations, you can definitely self-motivate yourself to stick to them. Here are some tips to help you either decide on one or to guide you if you feel as if you are tempting towards breaking your resolution.

1. Be realistic

It can be quite easy to dream big and to convince yourself that your New Year’s resolution is definitely attainable. Yet, deep down you know that you cannot justify giving up takeaways. How else will you cure your hangover? Set a realistic goal that you know you can achieve, or if you do choose to dream big and want to tackle your biggest weakness, make sure you are realistic in the fact that you know you have the determination to take on your resolution.

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2. Try only one resolution

Over the years, I have heard so many people have multiple New Year’s resolutions and do they stick to them all? Nope. By having a few can lead to a lack of organisation, as well as it becomes easier to justify why you have ditched one because you can simply work on your other resolutions. But, this just becomes your excuse every time until you have none left. So pick one, work on achieving it, stick to it.

3. Avoid previous resolutions

If your last resolution was an utter fail, it is probably best to avoid it. Maybe it is something that you cannot give up all at once, so it is probably best to ditch this one for now. Try an alternative approach, for example instead of giving up something, challenge yourself to learn or achieve something in the next year.

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4. Reward yourself

Nothing will beat acknowledging your success! A good way to keep track and reward yourself is at the end of each month if you have achieved your resolution, treat yourself to a small gift. Or, if you haven’t given up your favourite food, choose that!

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5. Take temptation as a setback rather than a reason to give up

If you end up falling into a trap of breaking your resolution, see this as a temporary setback. It will obviously be really hard to stick to your resolution as it is something new that can initially require small steps to achieve. So, understand that it is okay to give in and just use it as a lesson to try and achieve your original goal.

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6. Track your progress

Tell your friends and family your resolution, as you are all in this together! Your close ones can help with motivation to reach your goal. You can also use this as a good guide to track your progress. If you decide to keep it to yourself, why not buy a notebook and write down your progress. A perfect way to look back and see how you have successfully stuck to your New Year’s Resolution.

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It can be quite hard to stick to your resolution, however with determination and avoiding temptation you can definitely reach your goal of sticking to it. Make sure to set one that is achievable, reachable and try to establish one that will benefit the future you. Good luck!