by Anastasia Fermin, Sunshima blog writer
We’ve all made elaborate New Year’s Resolutions on New Year’s Day. We’ve all also worked on said resolutions for a few weeks before giving up. Then we repeat the cycle when the next new year rolls around again. Maybe this happens because we haven’t properly thought out a plan of action or we made resolutions on a whim. What if you planned your resolutions in advance? Here are 5 reasons why you should consider planning your new year resolutions in December.
- It allows you to get preparation done in time – planning ahead gives you sufficient time to make arrangements or get things in order to achieve your goal. For example, if your resolution is to learn to swim, you can start looking for a class or a personal swim teacher to sign up with. You can also have enough time to buy appropriate swim gear to be prepared for class.
- It gets you in the right mindset – Instead of making a resolution on the spot, you have time to think about what you really intend to achieve or improve in your life. It helps you to feel more driven and more likely to follow through all the way to completion. If you want to lose weight as your resolution, you can set your mind to put in the hard work required to stick to a fitness and healthy eating plan, and start picturing the benefits that this will bring you.
- You have more time to evaluate your goals or make adjustments – Setting a resolution in December gives you adequate time to ‘tweak’ your goal and make it more doable in the long run. If you want to learn a new skill, you can explore options before settling on one. Or if you choose a skill to learn but come across something else more intriguing you can alter your plan and change your original idea before starting.
- You can get help before you begin – What if your resolution requires external help or someone with expertise to assist you? For instance, if you want to start doing home repairs you may need someone to help you with tasks, procure tools or source materials for you. Securing the help, you need beforehand will prevent you from getting stuck or feeling defeated if you wait until the last minute.
- One less worry – When the New Year starts you will have already planned and put things into place to embark on your resolutions. Instead of waiting for the new year to arrive to begin thinking about what resolutions you want to attempt, you will simply just have to start working on them!
Starting off the year with clear goals in sight and the ambition and drive to achieve them is a wonderful way to ring in the new year. Having a start date and a set schedule and timeline is motivating and helps you stay on track. It also builds a healthy habit of being organized and accountable. If you always fall back and quit on your resolutions, try planning them in December and see what difference it makes!