The year 2022 is coming to a close, and we are determined to start 2023 on the right foot and in the right direction. We set ourselves a good New Year’s Resolution for 2023, but we maintain focus and help strive towards them through the entire year, not just the first few months. Below I will share 5 ways to keep a good new year’s resolution in 2023.

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5 Ways To Keep A Good New Year’s Resolution in 2023

1) Prepare for Change

We set new years resolutions to attain a goal or objective that we wish to meet because we do not/cannot do it. The basis of setting a new year resolution means that our life or daily routines will change, however, many people set new year resolutions not expecting change and being capable of keeping them with no changes to their life.

Truly understanding your new year resolution is a central aspect to determining a good new years resolution. Being prepared for change mentally and physically will help you go a long way in keeping your new years resolution. If you don’t let it catch you out, you will have a greater chance of keeping it and having a great year!

When writing down and setting your new years goal, understand the change required to your current routine to help with your expectations.

Preparing for the change of direction in your life is one of the 5 ways to keep your new years resolution
Preparing for the change of direction in your life will help keep your new years resolution

2) Use Visual Motivation

Using a visual motivator is a great motivator to keep you on track for your 2023 goals. One of the most common new year resolutions is to lose weight and using an image of where you would like to get to can add extra motivation. 

Alternatively, the visual motivation could be your favourite quote, which spurs you forward.

The visual motivation must be readily seen to help motivate you and give you a small lift. If it is in a location where it will not be seen frequently, it will not motivate you.

Where are good places to put photos/visual motivation? Anywhere where you will see it frequently:

  • Phone Background
  • Desk at work
  • A wall at home 
  • On the fridge

Ideally, the best location is whatever works for you!

3) Don’t Pursue Perfection

The majority of new year resolutions and goals often have periods or moments where something doesn’t go right. Be it we don’t stick to our diet plan, don’t go to the gym one night, fail to read for 20 minutes. It is important to understand that mishaps will occur. After all, we are human – we are not perfect.

It is important that when a mishap occurs, you don’t beat yourself up and accept that these things will happen. It is more important how you react to these scenarios.

All you can do is do your best each day, taking one day at a time – forgetting any blips that have happened previously.

How you react to mishaps is one of the key 5 ways to keep a Good New Year’s Resolution in 2022
You won’t always hit the bullseye when completing your new years resolution and that is okay

4) Create Necessary Habits

The best way to implement the changes required to achieve your goals is to help incorporate them into your daily routines and habits. They say that it takes anywhere between 18 – 254 days to create a new habit, with the average time being 66 days. To help keep a good new years resolution, you should look to develop a habit that contributes towards your goal.

For example, if you want to start going to the gym, decide what you will wear before you leave for work and leave it folded on the bed while you are at work. That way, when you return from work, your gym clothes remind you and help overcome the activation energy of a task.

At the beginning of developing the habit, it will take time to develop, but you must keep persisting until it becomes second nature, and then you will reap the rewards.

Incorporating a good habit will help remove the activation energy from a task – increasing the likelihood of you performing the task. It removes the initial required energy to initiate a task. In the example above, it’s getting changed into your gym clothing.

Another example is leaving a book next to the sofa (if you have a new years resolution related to reading). If you leave the book next to where you will sit then all you have to do is pick the book up to start reading. If the book was out away, you will have to remember to get the book then get the book – doing it this way makes it feel like a chore.

5) Measure Your 2023 New Year Resolution Progress

Measuring your results and progression towards your goal is an important factor for keeping a new years resolution. Measuring will show you the effects of your hard work and dedication, giving you additional motivation if required.

It is easy and common to become disheartened that you are not getting the results you want from your large amounts of effort. However, if you have been measuring your progress, you will likely see a trend that you are slowly reaching your goal.

Measuring your progress is one of he 5 ways to keep a Good New Year’s Resolution in 2022
Measuring your progress is a great motivation towards your new years resolution

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