Keep Your New Year's Resolutions Beyond January

With the New Year around the corner, it's inevitable that you or someone else in your life is putting together a list of resolutions.

As tempting as it is for me to give you a list like "Five New Year's Resolutions for College Students," I won't bother.  Resolutions don't work if they are too vague.  For instance, my friends and I were having dinner a couple nights ago.  One of them said her resolution was to go to the gym more.  Given that she didn't keep track of her gym habits for 2013, it would be hard to say if she actually met this goal for 2014.  "Going to the gym more" could be 30 or 300 times per year for all she knows.

Regardless of what resolutions you make, you are more likely to reach them if you do the following:

1. REFLECT.  Before you set your list of resolutions in stone, you should make sure you thoroughly reflect on the past year.  What were your resolutions for 2013?  Did you reach your goals?  Did you consistently follow your plan throughout the last 12 months?  If not, what threw you off?  These questions should inform how you move forward with 2014. 
2. BRAINSTORM.  After you reflect on what worked in the Old Year, brainstorm what you want in the New Year.  Think of every part of your life to make sure this list is well-rounded:  friends, family, classes, jobs and internships, extracurriculars, hobbies, etc.  List every possible resolution you could have without second-guessing it.  Worry about editing another time.
3. PRIORITIZE.  Okay, you let your mind run wild as your brainstormed.  Now it's time to prioritize what matters to you most on your potential resolution list.  Is any item that is essential to making 2014 a successful year for you?  Is there something on the list that has a pending deadline?  Yeah, those resolutions should probably get your highest priority.
4. EDIT.  Since you have determined what matters most to you, it's time to edit your resolutions list.  If your list is too long, it could be hard to stay focused. Ask yourself how many resolutions are feasible for you to tackle in one year.  Two?  Four?  Also ask yourself if your goals are specific enough.  Like my friend, you want to set goals that can be measured.  Instead of "going to the gym more," consider how many times per week you want to go to the gym.  You can't know if you reached a goal if you never specified a benchmark of success.
5. FORM A SUPPORT TEAM.  If you slip in reaching your goals, who will hold you accountable?  If you said yourself, that is not enough.  Share your resolutions with people that will keep tabs on your progress throughout the year.  You do the same for them if they ask.  Resolutions are so much easier to keep when you have a support team at your back.

Remember:  Dreams are so much easier to reach when you develop plans and strategies to break them down into concrete tasks.  Whatever your resolutions, best of luck in committing to them!