With every passing year comes new experiences, and with those new experiences come new ideas, perceptions and beliefs. Whether or not it is clearly evident to the visible eye, each year provides growth that prepares us for the year ahead. 

Before declaring your New Year’s resolutions this year, consider asking yourself a few questions that may better help shape your perception on what’s ahead by getting clear on your perspective for the year we are soon bidding farewell.

What did 2022 show me?

What did I, and/or, what could I do differently?

What do I want to bring with me into the new year?

What would I like to leave behind?

How can I take what I learned and apply it to something I desire?

Answering these questions truthfully will help you better understand where you are at in the present moment, and in which direction you would like to go. In doing so, coming up with goals/resolutions for the coming year should be more attainable as you have a clearer scope on your priorities and your non-negotiables. 

In an Economic Times article, it is said according to research, only about 16% of people are able to follow through with their resolutions. 

We have learned that it takes 21 days to form a habit and 90 days to permanently establish it a lifestyle. In other words, three weeks of consistently working at something makes it a habit, and after three months, that habit becomes a shift in lifestyle. But if you resonate with the 84% that sometimes struggle to transition goal to habit then convert it to lifestyle, you are clearly not alone. 

Sometimes resolutions fail because people set a goal that goes from a ratio of 0 to 100. Although the initial excitement generates momentum, it is usually short-lived. However, taking smaller steps in the larger direction will provide a more realistic approach in achievement.

Remember to be patient and give yourself the grace of understanding your mindset when it comes to where you’d like to be. Set goals that are realistic to where you are currently and what makes sense for your trajectory. Progress is progress whether it be small or big. If you focus on creating a healthier mindset, you’ll find that the goals you desire will become to feel less burdensome and more attainable. 

A good way of doing this is listing out your goals. Next, in a sentence or two, write the “why” behind each goal. Finally, list it out the goals in order of importance to you (keeping in mind your non-negotiables). When you have your goals listed out in the order of most to least important, along with your “why”, create a few bullets under each goal consisting of sub-steps that will ultimately bring you to the final desired outcome. The key here are baby steps – the baby steps are the stepping stones to the larger goal, in other words, they are your small wins. 

To recap, celebrate the small wins, master creating a positive mindset and divulge in your perspective. And there you have it – another concoction for a more successful new year.