New Year’s Day is just around the corner.

Fireworks
Courtesy of Wikipedia

Are you ready to enter 2013 with the goal of achieving your New Year’s resolution? Although many people struggle with achieving their New Year’s resolution,  I’m excited about working hard to achieve my New Year’s resolution for 2013: finishing and releasing my first CD.

With the stresses of life, sometimes it’s really hard to achieve your New Year’s resolution. However, I found some tips that will help you find success in meeting your goal.

1. Start Thinking About Your New Year’s Resolution Now

About.com suggests that you put thought into your New Year’s resolution. You need to think about how you should change your life in order to achieve your New Year’s resolution. You also need to consider all of the challenges that you might face, so that you won’t be surprised if things don’t go as you planned.

2. Write Down Your Resolution & Put It Where You Can See It

Wikihow.com recommends writing down your New Year’s resolution and placing this paper in a spot where you can see it. You need to be reminded of your New Year’s resolution daily. I wrote my New Year’s resolution for 2012 down on an index card, colored it, and taped it to my mirror. I saw it every day, multiple times a day, and I believe that this helped me achieve my goal.

3. Create a New Habit

The Wall Street Journal suggests that if you want to stop a bad habit, you cannot simply eliminate it. You have to replace it with something else. For example, if you want to reduce the amount of time you spend watching TV daily, you need to think about when you watch TV. If you watch TV for 3 hours after you get home from work, you can  choose to exercise for 30 minutes within that 3 hour period. If you don’t make a plan about what you will do with the free time that eliminating your habit will give you, you will have a very difficult time stopping your bad habits.

4. Be Proud of Yourself for Being One Step Closer Toward Reaching Your Goal

Time suggests that people shouldn’t get caught up in how far away they are from achieving their New Year’s resolution. Instead, focus on how far you have come and treat yourself. For example, if your goal is to reduce your fast food consumption from 5 times a month to once a month, and if you are struggling but have so far reduced your fast food consumption to three times a month, you still deserve a prize. 5 to 3 is a big improvement. Why not buy yourself a new shirt or CD?

5. If You Fall, It’s Not Over Unless You Quit

WebMd suggests that people should keep trying even if they fall along the path toward achieving their New Year’s resolution. For example, if your goal is to lose 5 pounds a month, and in both January and February you lose 5 pounds, but in March you only lose 2 pounds, don’t quit. It’s not over. Just take this challenge as a reminder that getting what you really want isn’t going to be easy. But, it’s NOT impossible! Remind yourself what you have achieved so far, and believe that you will be able to meet your goal.

I hope that some of these tips will help you to achieve your New Year’s resolution.

Have a wonderful New Year’s celebration! 🙂