For the last few years, I’ve had the same list of New Year’s resolutions:

Lose Weight

Get Healthy

Save Money

Sound familiar? I’m pretty sure that these self-improvement resolutions are probably at the top of everyone’s lists. I’ve come to learn that if it’s on your list every year, then you’re doing something wrong.

Now let me ask you this: Around when do you fall off the Resolution wagon?

According to Statisticbrain.com (who cited the information from the University of Scranton), the “Percent of people who are successful in achieving their resolution” is only 8%.

Why do you suppose that is? Why do resolutions fail? Well, I’m thinking that it has to do with poor planning, poor execution and lack of determination. We don’t always adequately plan for these major lifestyle changes (it goes above and beyond a Pinterest board folks), we set unrealistic goals, give up somewhere in the process, and sometimes we lose motivation and it’s just easier to quit.

How do we change this? The best way to reach your goals is to envision them and then take small steps towards making them real. I’m determined to make my resolutions finally work for me this year (and I just held myself accountable by announcing it to the world)- so let’s say we do it together?

How can we be part of that 8% that succeeds?

Let’s start here:

Set realistic Goals. You can’t lose 20 pounds in a month (the healthy way) and you can’t save tens of thousands of dollars when you’re still spending like you normally do. If you make goals that are unattainable, you’re likely to fail, but if you make goals that are too easy, you’ll be cheating yourself. Go midway. Examine what you will need to succeed and set goals accordingly. If you’d like to save some cash, determine how much is realistic, given your current financial situation, and break it up into monthly (or if it’s easier) weekly installments. Skip the coffee and keep the $5.

Make a long term plan for it. It’s all about the planning. There are a lot of factors involved in losing weight to include: finding the time, creating the diet, and getting the exercise. You’ll need to menu plan, figure out what exercise regimen you’ll go on and schedule the time for it. If you haven’t already done this, do it now, and you’ll be one step closer to your goal.

Accept Change. Keep in mind that you will be going through a lifestyle change. You cannot remain the same or do the same things. You set these resolutions for a reason- you weren’t happy with some area in your life and you are going to need to change it. If losing weight is your goal- accept that you can no longer have junk food. You just can’t. If you are looking to save money- make sure you don’t eat out or buy anything that you don’t absolutely need right now- no matter if it’s on clearance or what. You just can’t. Tell yourself that and move on.

Expect Obstacles and Hiccups. Changing your routine isn’t exactly easy, but there are ways to work around obstacles and hiccups. It’s called get up, get yourself back together and keep going. Every step you make in the direction of your goal puts you closer to it. Every step you take backward sets you further apart. Something that you didn’t plan for might happen, but how you handle it will determine your success. So if you cheat on your diet, don’t dwell- just don’t do it again. If you come into some unexpected expenses, do the best you can, but don’t scrap your resolution altogether. Find different ways to save.

Make it Real/Hold yourself Accountable. So you want to get healthy and/or lose weight? Sign up for a run or physical event that is in the near future. This will get you off your butt and exercising because you have something more short term to work towards. Better yet, do it with a friend so that you can both hold each other accountable to train for the said event. If you’re trying to save money, after the first few months of savings, place your saved money into a CD (certificate of deposit) that earns a higher interest rate than savings and isn’t as easily accessible (penalties are charged for early withdrawals on CDs). Schedule the CD to mature near the date you have set your goal for. This makes it a little more concrete than just having money easily accessible.

The time is going to pass either way. A year from now, you could be writing the same resolutions or we could be celebrating how hard we worked to get where we got. It’s up to you. I’ve got a few plans in mind to make this year a success and am looking forward to sharing them with you-  on the blog.

I challenge you to keep your 2017 resolutions and reach your goals!!

Are you with me?

My main focus will be losing weight and getting healthy. I have a few (ahem…20?) pounds to get rid of this year- and while it will be difficult, it’s definitely not unachievable. If you’re willing, I’d love to see you on this journey with me. I’ll be exploring healthy eating, staying active and staying motivated. I’ll keep you informed of progress and new things that I’ve done or found to be helpful. I’d love to hear what you’re doing and how you’re doing it along the way and support you on your journey! I’m excited to do this and believe that we can do this together!

Follow me on any or all of these social media outlets to stay up to date on tips, tricks and/or just for some quick motivation:  Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or sign up for my newsletter .

If you’re ready to keep going, check out other posts in this series like Planning, Overcoming Obstacles, and Losing Traction.

So what are your resolutions/goals for 2017? Comment below what your goals are and what your plans are to achieve them. Let’s get this going!

Pam

Pamela is a Freelance Writer, Blogger, WAHM of 3, and Veteran Military Wife living in Southwest Texas. Raised in the Northeast and having lived a few years in the Pacific Northwest, she likes to write about mom life, parenting, frugal living, experiences, and WINE. (Lots of wine!) When she’s not busy chasing toddlers around, you can find her on the blog or on social media. Check her out on Instagram: instagram.com/wineandlavender