2021 is right around the corner, which means everyone is planning their New Year’s resolutions. So how does one go about actually achieving their resolutions? Now, I’m no expert, but I do have some tips that I think will help.

Be specific.

People often set New Year’s resolutions that aren’t specific enough, for example, “I want to learn a new language”. There is no point when learning where it’s like, “You’ve unlocked a new skill: French”, of course not. Not only for learning a new language, but also for many other popular New Year’s resolutions, such as eating healthier or exercising more, there is no specific endpoint. So the endpoint for learning French could be being able to make simple conversation, to going to study abroad in France, depending on the person. Making the goal “I want to be able to read and understand a novel in French.” makes the goal more achievable.

Make a plan. 

Break up your year-long New Year’s resolution into quarter year goals, and break those into monthly, can make your large goal more reachable. Let’s say, for example, your goal is to read more. First, you have to make it more specific, so instead of “reading more” you could say “read 40 books by the end of the year”. Next, you need to split up the number of books you need to read, but don’t spread it equally. If you know you’re going to be busy some months, set your goal lower, and set your goals higher when you know you’re going to have more free time, such as summer break.

Make your goals manageable.

Don’t overwhelm yourself when making goals. Setting goals such as “I want to exercise three hours every day,” is too much, especially if you haven’t been exercising at all beforehand. Starting off with 10 or 20 minutes of exercise will make sure you won’t be overwhelmed and would fit in a busy schedule. Also, don’t give up if you miss a few days. It’s better to have finished 90 percent of your goal than none at all.

Incorporate habits. 

Not everyone can allocate two hours for their goals every day, but everyone can spare five to ten minutes. Spending ten minutes exercising, five minutes learning a language, or remembering to drink eight glasses of water a day, are small things you can do to work towards your goal. 

We’ve all seen “learn a language in 30 days” or “want to lose weight FAST??”, but the truth is these resolutions take time. Building habits and learning skills requires time, and if you give it that, you may see results. And remember, it doesn’t have to be a New Year, for you to make new goals. Now go, make some New Year’s resolutions. Good luck!