New Year’s is the most common time of year for people to make life-altering resolutions. From losing weight to saving money, there’s no better time to make a positive change than the start of a brand new year.
However, it’s not uncommon for people to abandon their resolutions within the first few months of the year. It’s a significant reason gyms see a massive surge in new customers in January, only for those numbers to dwindle by February or March.
Keeping up with your resolutions can be easier than you think. Perhaps your goal is to plan for the future. Accomplishing this can be as simple as a quick internet search asking how much life insurance can I get? Then compare your rates and plans. A good policy can help you have a plan in place in the event of an accident.
Planning ahead isn’t the only easily accomplished New Year’s resolution. Here are some of the best goals you can set for yourself and achieve in the new year.
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Set a Goal to Be Healthier
While many people often jump to weight loss as their New Year’s resolution, it may not be ideal for everyone. Although weight loss for some could be an excellent resolution to make, it can be challenging to maintain.
Setting an extreme weight loss goal can easily lead to burnout, disinterest, and giving up altogether on the goal. The rigorous exercise routines and restricted diet many accompany with a weight loss goal can cause the flame of motivation to fizzle out quickly.
Rather than making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, create a goal of living a healthier lifestyle. This resolution is not only more achievable, but it is less restrictive than a significant weight loss goal.
It is also a goal that can be achieved slowly, making it easier to stick with. Over time, it can become a lifestyle change rather than a resolution.
Alter Eating Habits Slowly
Eating habits can be altered a little at a time to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and healthy grains. As time goes on, you can slowly cut back on things like processed foods and sugary snacks.
Rather than making a drastic change and cutting out items like carbs and sugar altogether, slowly altering eating habits allows you to make a lifestyle change. Eradicating multiple foods can lead to binge eating or abandonment of your diet.
This slow change of diet can lead you to make overall healthier eating choices that are easy to stick with. Eventually, you may crave these foods over less healthy items such as fast food.
Gradually Introduce Exercise
Exercise can also be a gradual introduction. You can start with a simple goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. While this number might seem high, it’s easier to achieve than you may think. As you continue to move more, you may begin wanting to incorporate more difficult exercises into your daily routine.
When you begin a rigorous exercise routine right out of the gate, you set yourself up for exhaustion and burnout. You may quickly tire of how sore your muscles feel or lose interest in the process. You may also injure yourself if you try too much too fast.
A slower pace for exercise can help you stick with your goals and incorporate more movement into your daily routine. It can also help to find an activity you enjoy that allows you to stay active. Hiking, kayaking, swimming, or dancing are all great ways to get your body moving and have fun at the same time.
Setting the goal of being healthier, in comparison to the pursuit of losing weight, can not only encourage you to stick to your resolution but can help make the process easier.
Set an Achievable Money Resolution
Another common goal many people set during the new year is to save more money or limit their spending. While this is an excellent resolution, it can be challenging to maintain.
Attempting to create too large of a savings amount can have a similar effect as setting too large of a weight loss goal. When the number is extremely high, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and simply give up.
Start Saving in Small Amounts
Rather than setting up an end goal amount to save throughout the year and rushing to save it up quickly, start by saving a small amount during the first month. Each month after, you can gradually increase the amount you are saving until you reach your goal.
These savings don’t have to end when the year is over. If the new year rolls around once again and you still haven’t reached your goal, continue the process of saving until you achieve your desired result.
After reaching your goal, you can find an amount you feel comfortable saving each month moving forward. Setting that money aside before it even comes into your account is a great way to ensure you’re not spending it. Have your desired amount transferred automatically rather than moving it into a savings account after you’ve been paid.
If you start small and save more over time, it can allow you to achieve your end result without overwhelming yourself. Then, you’re left with a substantial savings account to fall back on in the event of an emergency.
Make a List of Monthly Expenses and Cut Back
If you’re having difficulty saving the desired amount of money each month, making a monthly expense list might be a good idea. You could be amazed at how many automatic bills you have coming out that aren’t being used.
Costs such as subscriptions can seem low when you sign up, but if you sign up for multiple memberships and aren’t using them, you’re wasting money you could be saving. While a small amount such as $10 a month doesn’t seem like much, it can quickly add up over time.
By making a list and finding items that you can remove from your monthly expenses, you can quickly move more money around to be saved.
You can also lower the amount you spend on necessary expenses by comparison shopping. For example, you could save up to several hundred dollars a year by switching the insurance carrier for your vehicles — especially when you factor in several auto insurance discounts.
Accomplishing Realistic Resolutions
While many people make New Year’s resolutions with the best intentions, they are often quickly abandoned within the first few months of the year. Rather than setting a drastic and unachievable goal, try setting a gradual one.
Whether you want to be healthier, save more money, or even plan for your future with life insurance, resolutions are much easier when you slowly work on them.
Alexandra Arcand writes and researches for the life insurance comparison site, QuickQuote.com. She is an insurance expert who enjoys finding new ways to improve her lifestyle and maintain resolutions.