10 Things That Are More Productive Than Making New Year’s Resolutions

New year’s resolutions don’t always work! There, we said it. Come join Beauty and Tips as we take a look at 10 things that are more productive than making new year’s resolutions.

Probably most people you know make new year’s resolutions. They’ve been making them since you were a child. Perhaps you’ve always made them, too. As you know, though, new year’s resolutions don’t really work. We make them, we break them and it totally sucks. What’s the point of them?! Not much from what we can see. The thing with new year’s resolutions is that they’re for lazy people who have to wait until a new year to set a goal. They could start planing new life at any moment…but they’d rather wait until January 1st! Moreover, the world’s most successful people don’t make new year’s resolutions. Instead, they set goals every day. Some people make resolutions stick, but most of us don’t. However, don’t despair, because while a resolution is unproductive, there are 10 things that are more productive. Let’s take a look at what you can do to improve your life without resorting to new year’s resolutions.

Write Down Your Values

A few of us have an awesome year and some of us have a rubbish year. Most of us, however, have a decent year. “It was okay,” we say. “But, hey, at least I survived it!” The reason many of us don’t have a fantastic year is because we make wrong decisions. And the reason we make wrong decisions is because we don’t know what our values are. When you know what your values are, you start to make the right choices that are in line with your values, and therefore make you happy. Moreover, you know what you want most in life and you’re able to strategise how to get it. Take some time to write down a list of your values. Ask yourself what matters the most to you. Is it health? Is it friendship? Is it family or adventure?

Read a Book

Instead of making a new year’s resolution that you probably won’t keep anyway, why not read a book? This can be anything you want it to be, but it’s a good idea to read a book that teaches you something new, and which is both inspiring and motivating. It’s simply the best way to start the new year.

Set Micro Goals

Many of us set these grand, ambitious new year’s resolutions that are hopelessly difficult to achieve. “This year I wanna move to Australia!” we declare before pouring ourselves another glass of wine. Instead of setting some colossal goal, set a few major ones and then set a few micro goals that will help you to achieve your bigger ones. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you need to do it in stages via a series of smaller goals. Maybe you could set a reasonable target each month. Smaller goals are super important. Without them, there’ll be no strategy, no small victories to celebrate and no direction. A big goal is useless if there is no clear pathway that gets us there.

Identify What You Need More of this Year

What was missing from your life last year? Did it frustrate you that you didn’t get to spend more time with your friends or family? Whatever you didn’t get enough of last year, figure out how you can get more of it this coming year.

Make A List of Things To Look Forward To

What are you looking forward to in 2018? Perhaps there’s an old friend you’ll be seeing for the first time in ages, or maybe you’re going away on the vacation of a lifetime? At the start of January, spend a bit of time making a list of the things you’re looking forward to. This list can include small pleasures, such as a new music album or a book, and it can include the bigger things, such as a vacation.

Reflect on the Past Year

As well as making a list of all the things you’ve got to look forward to this year, take some time to reflect on all your wins and losses from the past year. What did you enjoy about 2017? What did you hate about it? What are the things you’d never do again, what are the things you want to do better? This kind of analysis helps to guide us through the new year so that we make better decisions. It’s also kinda nice to celebrate the wins we had throughout the last year.

Pick An Affirmation

Do daily affirmations work? Absolutely they do! While our brain is certainly very powerful, it only believes what it sees and hears. In other words, if you repeat to yourself each day that this year is going to be your year, your brain will start to believe it and will eventually do all that it can to make sure that this year is indeed your year. Awesome! An affirmation can be anything you want it to be. If you want to be more positive, say to yourself “I’m a positive person who only sees the good in things,” each morning.

Get In Touch With An Old Friend

We’ve all got an old friend we haven’t seen for a long time who we miss and can’t believe we haven’t been in contact with for so long. Now that it’s a new year, it’s your time to reconnect with an old friend who you miss. Send them a message on Facebook. Arrange to get meet up for a coffee and a catch-up.

Be Grateful

On new year’s morning, rather than make a bunch of resolutions, spend some time practising gratitude for the things you already have in life. What are you thankful for? What should you be more appreciative of?

Write A Letter to Your Future Self

Lastly, grab yourself a bottle of champagne and write a letter to your future self. Write down where you see yourself in January 2019. How do you want to feel, what position do you want to be in?

Then, spend the year trying to make good on your promises.

Do you have other tips on effective new year’s resolutions and goal setting?

Stay happy!

from Beauty And Tips Magazine