Empowering Resolution Hacks For 2017

Setting resolutions for a new year is always empowering and fun… it’s the keeping up with them part that makes them so difficult. If you’re one to set goals and resolutions at the beginning of the year only to promptly walk away from them by Jan. 5, then it’s time to find a new approach. Better yet, maybe finding some empowering resolution hacks for 2017 will help you to continue feeling motivated toward reaching your goals.

It’s a matter of staying disciplined — and the best way to stay disciplined is to keep your goals in mind, make them a daily habit, and to treat them with utmost respect. Think about it; you created these goals for yourself, not anyone else. If you want to pursue them, you should! It’s been proven time and time again that self care and taking time for yourself are really important elements to staying sane, balanced, and even productive in your day to day life. Keeping up with your resolutions, even when it gets hard, is going to be the best way for you to practice self care.

Of course, it's easier said then done – which is why having some help along the way is probably very good. These hacks aren’t ways to cheat out of your resolution, because in reality you’re just cheating yourself. Instead, these hacks are simple ways to keep disciplined. They are small reminders to turn to when you find yourself wavering with your resolutions this year, and, hopefully, they'll make at least a small difference.

Psst! Check out the "You IRL" stream in the Bustle App for daily tips on how to have an empowering 2017 starting Jan. 1. Right now, tweet @bustle about how you plan to make 2017 the best year yet. Use the hashtag #2017IRL, and your tweet could be featured on our app.

I think it’s safe to say it’s near impossible to make a 180 lifestyle change and not screw up from time to time. Humans are not perfect, and it’s OK to stumble every now and then — especially when it comes to resolutions. What makes you even stronger towards your goal is the way you come back from a screw up. Don’t give up after one slip. Learn from any mistakes you may make, and keep going after your goals. Those low moments are the ones that will make you truly feel proud at the end of the year.

I so wish I could be a not-so-jealous person, but I am going to admit right now that I totally am. I look at what other people in my field are doing, grow green with envy, and desperately wish that I could have just a small glimpse of success like theirs. When I’m stuck with that green monster, it’s almost impossible for me to look at what I’m working towards and actually feel good about myself. Usually those are the times I scrap my resolutions and go about my life just like before. But I'm beginning to realize just how detrimental to my success this is — I should only be focusing on myself. So, learn from my mistakes: Stop comparing! Your story is always going to look different compared anyone else’s.

Maybe you sit on the other side of the spectrum where you take your resolutions way too seriously, potentially to an unhealthy degree. If you find that you constantly tear yourself apart because of the resolutions you set, there’s a chance that those resolutions were probably not healthy ones to make in the first place. If you see yourself straining to achieve a goal that is turning out to be unhealthy, it’s OK to let it go and try something new. Being honest with yourself in this manner is probably the best way you can take care of yourself during the year, and probably will be a huge accomplishment (even if you don’t see it that way right now).

When I sit down to set goals, I try to find some sub-goals to help me achieve my ambitions. Setting smaller goals throughout the year will help you accomplish a bigger dream. For example, if your goal this year is to add more greens to your daily diet, then why not choose a new green to work with each month? Try making kale based recipes in January, green peppers in March, zucchini recipes in July, etc. Or, if your goal is to simply be kinder to others, find some kind of project to work on each month that will help you work on that — like volunteering at a soup kitchen, or listening to someone over coffee.

Along with setting smaller goals for yourself, find ways that you can make you all the more successful. If you want to get more involved with the activist community at your school or in your town, for instance, see if there are any events or online groups that you can join in order to network and meet others.When you set yourself up to do well, then actually pursuing your goal is much, much easier.

This is a goal for you, so take time to motivate yourself now for those hard times that you’ll experience in later weeks. Download some phone background from Pinterest, print out some quotes and hang them on your mirror, or even write in some quotes in your weekly planner that you’ll come across in later months.

What better way to make sure you’re on top of your goals than to find someone who will do them with you? Find someone who will understand your need for this resolution and, in turn, you can understand and support their's.

If you don’t have a buddy that will do a resolution with you, then why not document your resolution on social media? Pick a hashtag for your resolution and make it your very own campaign. It could be fun having documented proof of your accomplishments — seeing where you started, and how far you’ve come, will help motivate. Plus, it will help to have online friends motivating your accomplishments (and it will probably be super motivating for them)!

If you aren’t one to keep a journal, I highly suggest you try it for reflections. The most common use of journals is to catalog every day life, but honestly, that’s never what my journal looks like. I use it for serious reflection on what I’m going through. I vent my struggles, I document my triumphs, and I set more goals for myself. I think you’ll find that when taking time to reflect on the goals you set, you’ll feel a more personal connection to see them through.

If you are someone who does really well with deadlines, then giving yourself deadlines throughout the year in order to achieve your resolutions will certainly keep you motivated. Again, taking small steps is the key to making the big dreams happen!

Reward yourself for making your resolution a reality, you deserve it! If you made little goals or deadlines throughout your journey, then recognize them with small bits of celebration. Treat yo’ self. Staying disciplined is certainly not an easy task, so you deserve to be rewarded for all that you’ve done!

Check out the "You IRL" stream in the Bustle App every day in January for daily tips on how to have an empowering 2017.