Happy New Year! It’s time to set 2020 aside forever. What feels like the longest year ever is finally over, and it’s time to broaden your horizons and look forward to what 2021 has to offer.
Every year people set New Year’s resolutions in an attempt to make each year better than the last. However, as we all can attest, most of those resolutions fizzle out by February. To really make resolutions stick, use an online calendar.
Set Multiple Goals
A typical New Year’s resolution is something big that will be pursued over the course of 365 days. That’s biting off a bit more than you can chew. Keep that end goal in mind, but break it into smaller, more attainable steps instead of trying to get there all at once.
Let’s say your goal is to run a marathon in 2021. If you’re not already used to running frequently and sticking to a training regimen, then this goal will seem entirely out of reach, and you’ll end up setting it aside. Start with a 5K instead, and slowly work your way toward the full length.
Plan in Advance
You won’t just waltz into your resolutions. You need to approach them with a plan set in advance. This will direct your efforts forward instead of stagnantly hoping that something good happens.
The marathon provides another excellent example. Waking up and deciding to run a marathon is asking for blistered feet and the sorest legs you’ve ever experienced. Plan to participate in a marathon that’s well after January and use your online calendar to develop a training schedule that will prepare you for that date.
Schedule Related Activities
Accomplishing your New Year’s resolution will require a hefty amount of personal effort. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of every resource available. You can schedule activities in your online calendar that align with your goal and make it easier to reach it.
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and get fit. This doesn’t mean you have to do 100 crunches on your living room floor and remove sugar from your diet all year. You can accomplish the same goal with many different approaches, like scheduling yoga classes or workouts with a personal trainer.
Participate With a Friend
When it comes to accomplishing lofty goals, the more, the merrier. Pursuing the same goal with a friend gives you somebody that can hold you accountable for your progress and push you forward on the days you don’t want to.
If you’re trying to lose weight, make it a challenge with a group of friends and host workouts together. If you resolve to pick up a new hobby like painting, you can ask an experienced friend for some lessons or learn right alongside them.
You can share an online calendar to improve communication and sync schedules when pursuing goals together. Create events that remind all parties involved and work them around your other commitments.
Track Your Progress
Recording your progress is another way to hold yourself accountable for action. You’ll feel invigorated when you see how far you’ve come, and use entries featuring slow progress as motivation to push harder the next week.
Your online calendar will be recording your progress as long as you fill it up with a schedule related to your resolution. Schedule a day each month to look back on everything you’ve accomplished and make adjustments for the upcoming months. By tracking your progress, you’ll have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t in pursuit of your goals.
If you prefer to keep physical notes on your progress, your online calendar can act as a regular reminder to keep your resolution journal updated. You can make it a weekly or even daily event to be scheduled.
Build a Routine
A resolution usually requires some form of lifestyle change. You can make the necessary adjustments by building a routine and sticking to it. Schedule out the steps of your new routine in your online calendar.
Some routine changes make sense, like adding daily workouts to achieve personal fitness goals. Other routines will be more subtle but will make it possible for your resolutions to be met.
To touch on a new goal, let’s say your resolution for 2021 is to receive a managerial promotion in your department. One way to make an impression on your superiors is arriving to work early. An optimized morning routine will have you feeling energized earlier and ready every day to pursue that achievement.
Set Encouraging Reminders
Your online calendar doesn’t need to be filled with only events. You can use it as a constant reminder of what you’re striving for. Reminders can be used to stop you from making costly mistakes or to motivate you on particularly difficult days.
Perhaps you’re striving to break the company sales record and struggle toward the backend of your shift. A recurring reminder to keep your chin up might be the only thing you need to push through those final hours.
The ever-present fitness goal could use some reminders too. A timely notification not to stop by the pastry shop on your way to work or to take the stairs instead of the elevator will make a big difference over the course of the year.
Don’t let 2021 pass you by without giving it your best effort. Think about what you want to achieve, and recognize that the only thing stopping you from getting there is your effort. Grab your online calendar and get started today.
Hunter Meine
Hunter Meine is a BYU-Idaho graduate, husband, father, and writer. When he's not writing, he's playing sports or enjoying the outdoors with his wife and daughter.