How to stick to your New Year's resolutions – and have more fun!
Sticking to your 2024 New Year's resolution doesn't have to be a drag. It can even be fun, if you dare to make it enjoyable.
Making goals for self-improvement is always laudable, but there's something special about setting goals for the new year each January.
According to a poll by YouGov, a third of US adults set New Year's resolutions. The idea of reinventing yourself and manifesting in the new year is always exciting, but can be challenging – especially if your resolution is vague or lofty.
The bad news is that most people don't stick to their resolutions for more than two to four months into the year, according to a Forbes survey.
But that doesn't have to be the case, especially when you add a dash of excitement to the mix.
Finally fulfilling your New Year's resolution can be enjoyable if you break things down and dare to have fun! Here's how.
How to achieve your New Year's resolutions
The best resolutions are ones that are concrete, quantifiable, and achievable.
Let's say you want to get in shape – which, per the Forbes poll, is one of the top resolutions this year. That's a great goal, but it's vague.
Break that resolution down and ask yourself the all-important question of how.
How many times do you want to hit the gym in a week? How many push-ups can you currently do and how many would you like to be able to do at the end of 2024?
Be honest with yourself, your habits didn't magically change with the date, and going to the gym five times a week might not be possible.
Dare to make a fitness resolution that suits you. For example, if you hate running or lifting weights, you could instead aim to take five-minute dance breaks three times a week.
Make a short and long-term plan with deadlines and numbers to count your goal, and be specific. Perhaps start with workouts once or twice a week and aim to increase.
Once you've broken down your goal into bits that sound doable, you can move on to gradually increasing to see your progress, making the whole thing more enjoyable.
How to make your New Year's resolutions more fun: Resolution Bingo
If you're like most of us, you have a million goals for 2024.
Why not create a New Year's resolution Bingo game? Your resolution could be as silly as trying to win Bingo - a feat in itself.
All you need is a list of at least 24 goals and a grid with 25 spaces, with the 25th space as a joker.
If you don't have 24 tasks on your radar this year, throw in a few chores or achievable activities you'd like to do but never make time for. You could even play Bingo with a specifc breakdown of your fitness plan alone.
Make sure you mix up the grid. You don't want any row, or diagonal, to have all the long-term projects or short-term tasks. You also want your Resolution Bingo to be achievable sometime this year!
Who knows – if you get one row, you might even be motivated to do more - especially for those of us that have a competitive streak.
If you don't fancy playing solo, Bingo, like most games, is more fun when played with a bunch of people. Tell your friend or loved one about your resolutions, or better yet, get them to play 2024 Resolution Bingo with you!
Researchers have found that telling someone you respect about what you're aiming to achieve helps keep you accountable and on track. And is way more fun.
The bottom line is that resolutions sholdn't be vague. Bite-sized tasks that lead to a better you can also help make them more fun. Allow yourself to play in 2024 and find the joy in going for concrete and achievable goals. Maybe you'll even get a Bingo win, too!
Cover photo: Unsplash/wflwong