As 2017 is about to end, it's time to write your 2018 New Year's resolutions. You deserve nothing less than to realize the life changes you've always wanted to happen! Living independently makes it challenging to fulfill all of your resolutions. According to statistics, there’s an 80% chance you’ll break your resolutions after a few weeks. However, we’re keeping things optimistic and productive. Here are the top 10 New year's resolution fails, and the tricks to turn them all into success in 2018.
1. Save money and take better care of finances
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A top resolution that is often ripe for a disappointing failure involves your finances. Whether it’s saving money or getting out of debt, money-related resolutions often fail because they are vague. What do you mean exactly by spending less and saving more? Getting a handle on your finances is much easier than you think because money is quantifiable. For example, create and stick to a monthly or weekly budget instead of saying you will spend less for the year. If you want to save more, schedule automatic withdrawals to your accounts instead of saving based on a whim.
2. Achieve a clean and clutter-free condo
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Cleaning your condo for the New Year can feel like a daunting task. Your personal attachment to things can derail you from reaching your goal. But a clean and clutter-free condo is one of best ways to welcome the new year. A good trick is to have a survey of everything in your condo. Which items spark joy in you? Keep the items that make you happy. This is a useful trick even for things that you consider necessities, such as kitchenware and furniture.
3. Lose weight and keep an exercise routine
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Losing weight is a common new year’s resolution that is often broken. Why? Because people are often unclear about how much weight they intend to lose. Five pounds? Sixty pounds? Losing weight is a admirable goal but it can feel overwhelming. Break it down to smaller goals to make it more feasible. Try logging your daily eating and workout habits. Knowing what you usually eat and how much you work out will give you a clearer idea of the small adjustments that will make the biggest impact.
4. Sleep more, stress less
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When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep? Sleep is a vital aspect of a healthier and more energetic 2018. Unfortunately, adopting a healthier sleeping habit is hard for a lot of people. Set a sleeping schedule and stick to it faithfully. Treat your bedtime as a sacred moment. It can feel challenging at first, but struggle on for the first few weeks. Once your body becomes used to the sleeping schedule, it will feel more natural for you to doze off and wake up feeling refreshed.
5. Quit smoking for good
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Quitting smoking is perhaps the single most important health resolution that a lot of people have to make. It is also one of the most difficult resolutions to keep because nicotine is highly addictive. Whether you live independently or with your family, it’s important that you’re aware of the emotional and psychological associations you have with smoking. Is it related to work, stress or to your environment? An awareness of why you smoke can be helpful during the challenging first few weeks of quitting.
6. Social media dieting
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Social media overuse is a bane for a lot people. Not surprisingly, more and more netizens want to curb their social media appetite for the next year. Some call it social media dieting. Sounds impossible? Not really. But as in all addictions, prepare for battle. A good trick to succeed is to limit your social media use to particular times of the day, say after lunch or dinner. It can also help if you discuss it with friends or post about it online. This way, the people you often interact with on social media will have a better understanding of your resolution.
7. Learn a new skill
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Self-improvement is a hallmark of a lot of new year’s resolutions. However, a lot of people forgo self-improvement when they feel overwhelmed by their current job or relations. Whether you’re enrolling to graduate school or learning a foreign language, what’s important is you try something you love to do. Learning a new skill can make you happier and more productive.
8. Volunteer for a worthy cause
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Volunteering is a common resolution that is often forgotten come February. One factor is that people do it for the wrong reasons. Volunteering is a noble act, and those who are serious about it should understand that they don’t have to necessarily commit something grand to help others. There are a lot of charitable organizations to which you can commit a part of your time. Choose one that is close to your heart. Avoid volunteering simply because it’s “good” or “cool.”
9. Travel to more amazing places
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If there is one resolution a lot of people want to keep, it is traveling more. Unfortunately, a lot of people fail at making their dream of traveling more a reality. Much of the trouble comes from poor planning. Forget about doing spontaneous trips especially if you have a day job. Plan one big trip in advance, making use of your resources like your financial and job situation. If a big trip is expensive or difficult to schedule, maximize your weekends and plan short trips. Make a plan around long weekends and national holidays.
10. Meet amazing new people
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So you want to expand your network in 2018? Hooray to you! Meeting new people can be a nerve-wracking experience. But the truth is you are more of a social animal than you are probably aware. Start with your immediate environment such as work or school. Introducing yourself to a lot of people in one go may look creepy. Choose one or two targets instead. Giving them a New Year’s greeting and asking them about their holiday can be a good way to strike up a conversation.
While the New Year's resolution failure rate is high, there’s really no reason but to succeed in your goals for 2018. Failing is an integral part of success. If you trip along the way, the important thing is you get up and learn from your failure.
