Last week I discussed a few different frugal New Year’s Resolutions. It is one thing to make a New Year’s Resolution, but it is a completely different thing to keep a New Year’s Resolution. So how do you make your New Year’s Resolution stick? Here are a few tips to help you keep your resolutions:
- Just Pick One: It is exhilarating to make a long list of resolutions and imagine your new life, but if you want to make it past February you should probably just focus on one, maybe two, resolutions. This will allow you to focus all of your energy in one specific direction.
- Be Realistic: Make sure that you create a resolution that you can actually keep. If you have $10,000 in debt, you probably don’t want to try and pay all of that off this year. But maybe make a plan to pay it back over the next five years. Aim low, so you can surprise yourself by exceeding your goal!
- Make A Plan: I am a big planner, so this one is probably the most important for me. Make a plan that fits your lifestyle and modify it as you go.
- Find Resources: Look for resources about your resolution. Search the internet for articles and books, has someone else kept this resolution? If son, how did they do it?
- Talk About It: Tell everyone, all of your family and friends, about your resolution so that they can support you and keep you accountable.
- Buddy Up: If you can find another person who has the same resolution, you can buddy up, challenge one another and keep each other accountable. If you don’t have any buddies among your friends or families, you might be able to find a support community online.
- Change is A Process: Remember that change is a process. Killing old habits and developing new habits takes time, so be patient with yourself.
- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: If you make a couple of small mistakes at the beginning, don’t sweat them. Keep trying! If you need to modify your resolution, do that. One small success is better than no success at all.
- Reward Yourself: Keep yourself motivated by rewarding yourself for your small achievements. If your resolution is to live within your means, put away 5 or 10 dollars every week so after a month of living within your means you can reward yourself by going out to a nice dinner.
How are you keeping your New Year’s Resolutions? I invite you to post your frugal New Year’s Resolution in the comments so we can keep each other accountable.
Frugal Community 