How to Achieve your New Year's Resolutions

         

   I always have a list of my own New Year's resolutions every year for about 10 years. For me, it's a good way to start the year and it's kind of like an inspiration list as well. After all, it's a set of goals that you plan to achieve per year. However, not a lot of us can say that we have truly obtained our New Year's resolutions, and some would even say that they've only achieved 50% of the list. If you're one of them, don't worry, I used to have such problem, too, until I have discovered ways on how to make a good and doable list of New Year's resolution.

1. Make clearer goals - There is nothing more tried and tested way to achieve goals than to set clear and specific ones. For example, I used to put 'have more money' in my list for the first few years. After I have realized that it was a wrong goal, I changed that into 'add at least USD 2000 or 100,000 php to my bank account this year'. Clearly the second goal is more narrowed and clearer than the first one. Of course, how much you can add to your bank account would depend on your salary and determination to make more money. Nevertheless, raising your expectation is a good tip. Say, you have an annual net salary of 80,000, try making a goal of 100,000, which is 20,000 more than your net income. This way, you will be pushed to make more money for the year.

2. Make doable goals - Listing doable and possible goals is another tip. Never include 'buying a mansion' in your list when your salary can only take you to your humble home or apartment. You might want to change that into 'search for rent to own houses'. There are a number of rent to own houses that require possible owners to be a member of certain housing loan organizations like Pag-Ibig. Learning more about it gives you an idea on the monetary and legal aspects of having your own house in the future. Yes, you may be required to pay monthly mortgage, but it's only for a certain period. Once the period has finished, the house and lot are then transferred to your name.

3. Narrow down your goals - If you want to travel this year to other places, you might want to include 'travel to (particular place), instead of 'travel abroad'. The first one shows a very narrowed goal, which makes achievement a bit easier than not enlisting a more specific place to go to. It's also easier to search for information on a particular place to go when you only have one or two places in mind.

4. Avoid procrastination - However you make your New Year's resolution, but if you continue procrastinating, you're bound to end the year accomplishing only half of the goals set for the year. Never let a day finish without ending it with a bang. Divide your time wisely and remember that time is gold. After December 31st, you'll have no more time to do all the rest of the things that's in your list, so start doing them NOW!