Plan and record your resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are a big commitment

The first week of January has passed and the middle of the month is ëmake or break timeí for New Yearís resolutions. Therefore, itís a good time to rethink your resolutions and assess how you are keeping up the new, good habits. New Yearís resolutions can be hard to stick to and itís very easy to fall back into old habits. However, you neednít give up altogether because of one slip up; the whole point of resolutions is to try harder.

Commitment

New resolutions are a big commitment, so revise over them and break them down into more achievable goals. If for example, youíve vowed to never let your bedroom become messy ever again and a week later itís not looking too tidy, think about how you can achieve having a tidier bedroom. Instead, change your resolution to carrying out everyday tasks that will help to keep your bedroom spick and span in the long term. Each week, write out a list of jobs you will do each day and tick them off once they are done. If you forget to do something one day, then do it the next. If this happens continuously then you will see how overwhelming it is to do several tasks all at once! As long as you learn from breaking a resolution then you havenít failed. With daily prayer, your goals will be more achievable.

Keep a diary

Keep a diary to record your progress. Or, create a poster to stick on your wall with a list of your resolutions, and daily tasks you will undertake and prayers you will recite to achieve them. You can make your own personal one or make one for all the family. By making one for the family you can all help each other achieve your goals. This will also be useful as a guide for giving up luxuries throughout Lent. It will be much easier making sacrifices coming up to Easter if you have practised your New Yearís resolution tasks. When this year comes to an end and itís time again to think about the changes you will make next year, take a look at everything you have documented over the past 12 months. Reading over the goals you have achieved, and the willpower you have maintained for a year will boost your confidence for another new year.