Once the holiday decorations are packed away, we turn our attention to another tradition: setting New Year’s resolutions. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on the past, create hope for the future, and find purpose for the year ahead.
Setting goals is actually good for our mental health and overall satisfaction with life. But too often, we set big, sometimes unrealistic goals that set us up for failure. This can lead to frustration, damage our self-confidence, and sometimes leave us feeling worse than before we even set the goal. So, what’s the deal? The secret to sticking with our plans is motivation—and more importantly, keeping that motivation alive long after January. The good news is, there are some simple tricks to help you stay positive and productive, so you can achieve whatever goal you’ve set—whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or something else. Psychologists share some proven strategies that really work.
Practice Cognitive Restructuring.
One technique therapists use in cognitive-behavioral therapy to help clients shift their thinking is called cognitive restructuring. This involves recognizing when your thoughts go from positive to negative, and then reframing them, explains psychologist Yvonne Thomas, PhD.
For example, let’s say your goal is to eat more vegetables and whole grains. At first, it’s easy and fun, but then you get a craving for pizza and order takeout. Instead of accepting that it’s okay to indulge sometimes, you might fall into an “all-or-nothing” mindset, thinking, “I’ll never be able to make healthy choices all the time, so why bother?” This kind of thinking can lead you to give up entirely, but it’s neither healthy nor helpful.
Once you recognize when you’re falling into that negative mindset, the next step in cognitive restructuring is to change those thoughts to something more balanced. In this case, you might think, “I enjoyed the pizza last night, but now I’m looking forward to a healthy breakfast with oatmeal and fruit,” instead of “I’ve failed and will never succeed.” It may sound simple, but life is all about balance—no one can eat steamed veggies for dinner every night.
“If you can shift your thinking to a healthier mindset, you’re more likely to stay motivated and committed,” Thomas explains. “By changing your thoughts to a more realistic perspective, you can stay logical and not let emotions get in the way of your goals.”
Create a Clear, Exciting Vision of Your Success.
Psychiatrist Jeffrey Ditzell, DO, encourages you to fall in love with the vision of what you want to create. If your goal doesn’t excite you, it’s hard to stay motivated because you won’t look forward to the daily effort needed to reach it. That’s why having a clear, inspiring vision of your success can help keep you on track.
If you’re someone who responds well to visuals, Dr. Ditzell suggests gathering images or words from magazines or online that represent what you want to achieve. Put these inspiring pictures in a spot where you’ll see them every day. “You’re essentially kick-starting your brain’s dopamine pathways to boost motivation and performance,” he explains. “And don’t forget, you can always update your vision to keep it fresh and exciting for your mind.”
Break Large Goals into Digestible Micro-Goals.
Let’s say one of your biggest goals is to reorganize your home. Maybe you’ve been inspired by a home organizing show on Netflix (like The Home Edit), or living, working, exercising, sleeping, and eating in the same space 24/7 has made you realize it’s time to declutter. Instead of aiming to tackle every room in your house in a week.
Thomas suggests breaking your big goal into smaller, more manageable steps. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed by the task ahead. “By splitting it into smaller chunks, you’re more likely to get started and feel more confident and motivated to keep going,” she explains.
Give Positive Purpose To Your Goals.
When you’re thinking about your goals, take a moment to consider why you want them. Do you want to improve your life, make your daily routine easier, or find more satisfaction in your job, relationships, or self-esteem? Are you really ready for a big change?
These questions can help you figure out if your goals are coming from a positive, purposeful place, or if they’re driven by fear or shame. “When we approach ourselves with a negative mindset, it’s harder to stay motivated because we get stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts,” says Hanna Stensby, a licensed marriage and family therapist. “Viewing your identity and self-perception with compassion is a great way to stay motivated.”
Even if the goal stays the same—like wanting to rethink your spending habits—how you frame it can make a big difference. Instead of thinking, “I’m so bad at saving money, there’s something wrong with me,” try thinking, “I want to learn how to spend less and save for the things I really care about in the future.”
Do the Prep Work, Every Time.
Staying on track towards your goals involves doing some prep work first. Dr. Ditzell explains that you can “game the system” by setting yourself up with tools that help you stay consistent. In simple terms, make it easier for yourself by removing obstacles along the way.
“This could be something as simple as meal prepping ahead of time to avoid having to make choices or keeping a bottle of water nearby so you stay hydrated throughout the day,” he says. “Whatever it is, you want to have the right supports in place so they’re there when you need them.”
Enlist Your Crew or One Buddy You Can Trust.
There’s real power in teaming up with someone. According to Stensby, we stay motivated and focused when we have support and someone to hold us accountable. But it works best when you know the person (or people) are truly committed to the journey with you.
Together, you can come up with clear ways to help each other stay on track, overcome obstacles, and keep moving towards your goal. “Talk to this person about your progress and check in daily about what you’ve done to move forward,” she suggests. “Knowing you’ll be updating someone on your progress makes it way more likely that you’ll stay consistent.”
List The Benefits of Your Chosen Goal.
Stensby suggests writing down all the benefits you’ll get from forming a new habit or working towards your goals. “Write it down and keep your list of ‘pros’ somewhere you’ll see it every day,” she says.
“When your motivation starts to fade, you can remind yourself of the rewards waiting for you.” For example, if your goal is to wake up earlier and become a morning person, put a list of all the positive things you’ll gain by the side of your bed. It’ll help you push through those mornings when all you want to do is hit snooze and stay under the covers.
Also Read: How do I Overcome Negative Self-Talk?
Acknowledge Your Wins.
If you’re working from home for the long haul and your goal is to find a better balance between work and personal life, you know it won’t happen overnight. It might not even happen in a week or a month. It takes time, with some days going great and others being more challenging. That’s all part of the journey.
But if you only focus on where you fall short, you’ll burn out fast. Ditzell says it’s important to stop and celebrate each small step forward. Some might think this is bragging, but Ditzell argues the opposite. “It’s a chance to recharge and use the energy from each milestone to keep going and tackle the next one,” he says.