“New Year, new me” - we have been hearing this phrase for as long as any of us can remember. As the New Year begins so many of us start to reflect on the past year and promise ourselves to make the positive life changes for the year ahead of us. Unfortunately, these New Year’s resolutions are not very easy to stick to with a whopping 80 percent of people lasting only until the end of March. There are many reasons as to why we can’t seem to stick to our goals long term but our tried and tested tips below will help you smash your New Year’s resolutions and help you keep them throughout the year!

1. Make a plan

Planning is a key to success. You have to be specific; write down what you want to achieve and what stages you need to have to get there. Planning is a good starting point and it will help you keep track of your progress. Creating S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals would also ensure that you can measure your achievement and stay on track. 

2. Make small changes

It is important to set realistic goals and take a small step at a time. Dream big, but be patient. It is better to change one thing at a time and improve as you go along step by step. For example, if your goal is to get fitter it is better to start off with being consistent and exercise 3 times a week for 45 minutes. In this way you can be realistic and let yourself get used to the new regime and stick with it.

3. Be organised

Tidy home, tidy mind. It is important to keep things tidy and organised around you as our physical surroundings can have a direct impact on our behaviour! Your home and your room is where you start and end your day. Having it nice and organised means that it is easier to find anything that you need, it saves you time and in general your mornings and evenings will go a lot smoother and stress free. You have to be set up from the start to succeed in your New Year’s goals so keep your personal space clean and make your life as easy as possible.

4. Share your experience

It is hard to keep everything to yourself, when you share your experience and hard work with others you will find its easier to keep going and not to give up. Talk to your family and friends, they will support you and encourage you towards your success. You can also support someone else in return, you are definitely not the only one in your circle committing to a new goal this year! In this way you can share your progress and motivate each other.

5. Reflect on your past year.

It is good to look back at the last 12 months and analyse your past actions. What worked well for you and what failed? It is important to be honest with yourself and recognise what things you are good / bad at, what motivates you and what is it that you really want to achieve this new year. Your desire for change has to be self-motivated, if you don’t want this lasting change enough you will find it difficult to stick with it. Set a specific goal that is important to you and work hard for it!

Here they are, our 5 tips to help you smash your New Year’s goals and set you up for success. #woofmovement