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Every year, resolutions are made in January but, not everyone sticks to them. A common resolution is being fit and exercising or losing weight. In January, gyms are packed with people working out and signing up. Sadly, by February, few continue the workouts and dedication of being successful. Only 8% of people recorded in Forbes accomplished their goal in 2013. This number has since decreased steadily. This year, continue to strive and reach your resolution all year long using these tips.

Make the goal tangible and realistic.

Use the acronym MAD when deciding your resolutions. Make sure the goal is manageable, attainable, and deadline-driven. This makes the goal specific allowing people to pinpoint what to work on and how to achieve. This is not a one time goal but one that continues.

Make it obvious.

Set up a pinboard with the goal or stick reminders all around you! Tell family members and friends about the goal. This way, you cannot back down because there are others aware of it! For fitness driven goals, a fitness planner, devices, including Garmin and FitBit, or apps, such as My Fitness Pal, can help users reach their goal in an interactive way. Bullet journals and calendars will also prove to be helpful!

Find an accountability partner.

An accountability partner cheers and challenges someone on as well as lets them know when something is not being performed correctly. Be sure to choose a willing and trustworthy person! Friends or trusted adults can make great accountability partners. For example, if a student’s resolution is to do their homework in a timely manner, the partner will ask them how the process is going and reminds them not to procrastinate.

Know the background of the resolution.

Why was this goal chosen? According to Teen Vogue, the standard answer of wanting “the best life and version of oneself” is a lie. A solution to a problem arises when a person sees something wrong. Find out the why to the resolution and let it be your motivation. Remind yourself why you chose and started the resolution in the first place.

Enjoy the process and reward yourself.

With all resolutions, create incentives for yourself. This way, the resolution is less of a chore. Starting may seem hard at first but, it will get easier. Think about your first time swimming, riding a bike, performing, or even testing an experiment. In due process, there will be more than the goal attained. A new person and character will develop from a tough resolution. Hang in there!

Alternate when necessary, don’t give up.

Being flexible is key. If your goal is to spend more time outside and learn how to camp but it rains every time you want to do the routine, do not quit. Instead, reassess the materials and other information that would benefit as well as performing the routine indoors can all be substituted with unfriendly weather.

Set short term goals leading to the resolution.

Setting little goals will make the resolution seem less like a daunting task. If someone wants to earn enough money to go to an out of state camp during the summer, the student should have a goal per week or per month with a income goal. The resolution will not seem impossible anymore!

Track progress.

Bullet journals, calendars, and notes are all great resources to track progress towards a goal. Interactive maps or guides can be made to make the process enjoyable. Some fitness apps can display an entire month progress. Others, such as Forest, can display and cheer students, or other users, when phones are not being used while trying to focus on a task.

Don’t make excuses.

If your workout partner is unavailable on the scheduled day, you should still work out! Do not make excuses! One excuse can lead to another until the resolution is forgotten about. Don’t let that happen! Whether it takes ten alarms and reminders to keep you on track or having a spontaneous schedule rather than a planned one, make sure to follow through.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”- Theodore Roosevelt

Know that you can do it. Picture yourself achieving the goal. If this is hard to imagine, then the goal is a good one. Be sure to see the finish line and the prize while going through the process. Display motivating quotes and achievable sayings to encourage spirits!

Cheering you on!

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