We’re a few weeks into the new year and it’s make-it-or-break-it time when we either uphold our New Year’s resolutions or fall back into old habits. Creating change in our lives is hard, but there are a few tried and true productivity hacks that actually work. Here’s how to achieve your New Year’s resolutions. 
Make a plan:
It’s 10 times harder to lose weight if you’re not exactly sure when you’re going to the gym. Before you know it, a whole week goes by and you still haven’t even put on your workout clothes. First, make the time to sit down and create a gym schedule. Next, make the time to actually follow through with your plan! The first step in creating change in our lives is to make the time to make a plan which, believe it or not, is where most of us fail. Instead of aimlessly reaching for goals, you have a default plan in place that allows your mind to go on auto-pilot so you don’t have to think so much.
Complete three steps a day:
As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” so don’t expect to achieve your goals right away. It is amazing how much we can accomplish in a year if we take small steps every day. It can be as simple as sending one email, updating one section of your website, or even simply saving the gym schedule to your desktop. Completing these small steps will create a sense of achievement which is addicting. Instead of putting so much pressure on yourself, you’ll be excited to work on your resolution each day.
Pro tip: Arrive to work 15 minutes early to outline your three small steps for the day. This is making the time to make a plan!
Fail:
If you achieve your New Year’s resolution without failing, your resolution probably wasn’t big enough. Dream big, ladies! Failing is a sign that you are making changes, creating a shift in your life, and actually going for it. We are human. We make mistakes. It’s normal! However, this doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. Maybe you went a week without completing 3 small steps each day. Don’t stress about it. Start over and try again. Don’t wait for the next New Year to take another stab at your resolution. It sounds cheesy, but every day provides a fresh start. It can be a random Tuesday at 3 pm when, all of a sudden, your resolution clicks and you achieve the goals you’ve been dreaming of. You can do this.
What productivity hacks have helped you achieve New Year’s resolutions in past years? Share your tips in the comments section below!
By Samantha Cooper: Samantha Cooper is the director of operations at Curly Girls Showroom!
I can never get too many good time management tips under my belt! It feels like every day I find a new and exciting was to procrastinate haha!
This year I am determined to get into the habit of going to bed earlier. Some weeks I achieve this goal, while weeks like this one, I may have missed the mark on more than a few occasions. I completely agree that sticking to those New Year’s goals starts with making a plan!
http://www.livinginsteil.com
Baby steps for me is taking it week by week. By setting my weekly to-dos and including my habits in them, like go to the gym 3x or be in bed by 10 pm, I am working towards my goal without overwhelming myself!
Great tips! Its important to remember that failure is a big part of success. The trick is to always fail as quickly and efficiently as possible!
xoxo,
Casey // adolescentadulthood.co
I love getting to work 15 minutes early to set your goals for the day. This will be so helpful!
Greta | http://www.gretahollar.com
I love the idea of completing three steps a day. Such a great thought.
Thank you!
These are awesome tips! I can’t wait to crush my goals!
🙂
This is such an amazing post! I’m definitely guilty of failing at my new year’s resolutions just because I forget and eventually stop doing it all together. This year has been going really well though! These are great tips that I’ll definitely try out so I can actually achieve my resolutions this time around.
Jiawun | Beauty Nerd By Night
You’ve got this!!!
I love the tip “if you achieve your goal without failing you probably weren’t dreaming big enough”, such a great reminder! Failure isn’t the enemy, it’s step towards achieving your goals!
Thanks, Jordyn! I’m so glad it was helpful.
You are 100% right that is you don’t take the time to plan out your goals they won’t happen!!
And writing down your goals is essential!!
I love this reminder to take small steps everyday to make an impact in a big way! AWESOME!
Thank you, Candice! I agree completely.