Goodbye 2016, and hello 2017! The past year has been a colorful one, to say the least- and surely, there will be tons of New Year’s Resolutions popping out to welcome another 365 days of life.  An effective study plan, saving money and becoming more responsible in Social Media are at the top of millenials’ lists last year*, but one problem about these resolutions is actually keeping them until they are achieved. Here are 5 tips to help you maintain your resolutions and completing them!

1.   LESS IS MORE.

Listing down a few resolutions you’re sure of actually going to do is a lot better than listing a bunch of unnecessary goals that will only hinder you in making progress. Focusing on two or three achievable goals will make it easier for you to fulfill and avoid disappointment. However, being too focused on these goals might make you forget about other important things in your daily life. Take a step back and remember that these resolutions are supposed to help you improve your lifestyle and should not distract you from your own priorities.

2.   DO WHAT YOU REALLY WANT.

Be sure and specific about what you really want to achieve this year or even further than that. How much money will you save from your allowance every month? How many pounds do you intend to lose? Make sure that these goals are what you want for yourself and not just to please the people around you. Taking suggestions from family and friends is fine as they can provide support, but letting them pressure you into goals that you don’t want for yourself will only hinder you in making any change or improvement in your life.

3.   TAKE IT STEP BY STEP.

Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a single day. If you can’t feel the changes you want immediately, look back to where you started and check your progress. You’ll see there that your effort is making a difference, no matter how small it is. Building these small changes up into bigger and more noticeable improvements will motivate you to keep up the good work.

4.   INCORPORATE IT INTO A ROUTINE.

Your resolutions are going to be part of your life in the coming year so it will be better for you to incorporate these into your daily lifestyle. It will be unfamiliar within the first few days just like any other thing you’ve done in the past, but once you get used to it, it will feel natural and you won’t have trouble keeping yourself in check.

5.   DON’T BE AFRAID TO ADJUST.

If the study plan didn’t work the way you wanted, or that exercise schedule only leaves you more stressed than fit, then change it up until you find the one that works for you. Just because one way is the most effective for most people doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you as well. There are no shortcuts to effective results, and success can only be achieved through purposeful effort. Everyone is different, and there are a lot of different ways to reach your goals.

These are just small tips but YOUR SUCCESS still lies in YOUR OWN HANDS. The important thing about New Year’s Resolutions is keeping yourself motivated to make that great improvement in your life. Happy New Year, millennials! <3