The Liebers: 5 Ways to Keep Your Resolutions

Happy New Year! I'm sure your news feed, like mine, is full of health and wellness ideas, money management tips, and other types of changes you can make in the new year. People often see this time of year as a way to start anew with resolutions to make the coming year their best one yet!

I've written resolutions, made yearly bucket lists, and picked a word of the year many times in the past. My successes have been hit or miss on some things, but overall I think I'm a better person than I used to be and getting better all the time!

In the spirit of the New Year, here are 5 ways to help you keep any resolutions you may have made for yourself:

1. Set the right kind of goals: Losing weight, eating healthier, and saving more money are great goals, but you'll be more successful if you make your goals SMARTer.

SMART goals are things like: I will lose 12 pounds by the end of the year. I will save $25 from each paycheck and deposit into my savings account. I will try one new vegetable each week from the grocery store. SMART goals are more concrete and easier to keep. They are also easier to see success with and help motivate you to keep going!

2. Find an accountability partner: Surely you know someone else with similar goals to yours? Or maybe someone you feel close enough to for some intimate discussions. Share your goals with that person and give them permission to check up on you. No one wants to be the one to constantly ask their friends, "How's the weight loss going?" but when you give a friend permission, it makes things a lot easier on both of you. Maybe you can even work on your goals together. I think it's fun to challenge my kids with some of my goals. For example, letting them each pick a new food to try during the month.

3. Write it down: Make your goals obvious and write them down in a place you will see them. While you're at it, motivate your self with some inspirational phrases, posters, or Bible verses. Our priest recently quoted Philippians 4:13 during his homily: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Ken really felt pulled by that phrase and has it written down on a card in his Jeep. I took it a step further and cut it out on the Cricut to put on the bathroom mirror. Now we see it as we're getting ready in the mornings and as we're getting ready for bed at night.

4. Check in with yourself through appointments and reminders: Set a reminder on your phone calendar or write it in your planner. At the beginning of each month take stock of how you've down with your goals. Or pick your favorite number and use that date to check in. Go ahead and set up reminders for the whole year. That way to you don't have to think about it or make yourself remember.

5. Be graceful with yourself: True change doesn't happen over night. New habits take time to form, and old habits are hard to break. If you don't meet a goal one month, look at the progress. As long as you're moving forward, that's a good thing! You got this! You can do it!!

Want some more resolution reading? Check these out!