10 EASY tips for creating and keeping New Year’s Resolutions. Breaking down how to set realistic goals for the new year of 2019 & how to get them to stick!
Happy New Year!! I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the start of 2019! I know I am definitely excited for what is in store for this year. This new year has me feeling so blessed & so inspired. I love this time of year & really use it to reflect on things that I’ve done, accomplished, what happened & what I want to accomplish for the year ahead. With that said, I thought that I’d talk a little today about setting New Year’s Resolutions & how to keep them!
Yesterday, I sat down with a hot cup of peppermint tea, surrounded by my manifestation crystals, & an open page in front of me. I basically just wrote a thank you letter to myself in reflection of the past year. I think reflecting is such a profound thing to do. Even for me, I feel so lucky to have this blog which takes me back to specific moments such as my 2017 Reflection post last year. I was in a completely different mindset & space last year, not to mention a different country as well! It’s crazy what a year can do & what growth it can bring.
Although the new year can bring upon so many positive things & growth, I think many people struggle to keep their minds free of negativity. Feelings of disappointment may sneak in when remembering the goals you may have set for this past year. Maybe you didn’t achieve any of them. Maybe you didn’t even stick to 1 for longer than a month. It’s easy to feel down if you focus on the things you didn’t get to accomplish.
But then again, it’s only one year.
Maybe you didn’t get the job promotion of your dreams. Maybe you didn’t make 1 million dollars. But guess what, I didn’t either. But those also aren’t the goals I set for myself for 2018. Setting goals or intentions or resolutions is apart of self-growth & development but you also have to have a plan. You just can’t have a goal of accomplishing something really big like making a million dollars without an action plan.
Figure your plan out by reflecting. What did you do good this year? How can you improve? What were some of the highs you had this year? Any lows? How do you feel about yourself? How do you WANT to feel about yourself? What can you do now to make a difference in the long run?
Give yourself time to reflect.
Creating goals can be overwhelming. Even the word “goal” can be overwhelming for some. If you’re someone who thinks the word “goal” is intimidating…forget it! Even the word “resolution” carries a lot of weight to it. Consider them intentions!
Last January, I started my year off setting a daily intention for the entire month of January. I wrote about it here on my blog & it’s one of my most popular posts! People want to be better. We want to improve. We want to grow.
Intentions can help you do just that. Setting intentions is a simple yet effective way to accomplish things without letting yourself feel “down”. When looking ahead to 2019, that is how I pictured my “goals”…I pictured them as intentions.
I came up with a list of intentions for both my personal life & my professional life. Some of my personal intentions for 2019 consist of learning, growing, healing, & communicating more effectively.
New Year’s resolutions should not be intimidating, they should not make you feel unaccomplished, they should not be overwhelming. They should be uplifting, motivating, & inspiring.
10 Tips for creating & keeping New Year’s Resolutions
- Use “I will” statements. “I will” statements hold a lot of power. They hold you & you only, accountable for what happens in your day, in your week, in your month, & in your year.
- Write it down. I am a HUGE believer of writing things down.
- Repeat what you wrote, OUT LOUD. And believe yourself when you say it. If you don’t believe in what you are saying, who will?
- Think about why the specific intention/goal/resolution is important to YOU. Does it empower you? Will it boost your confidence? Will it make you a better person?
- Create tangible goals. It’s wonderful to dream big, but sometimes those big dreams can seem overwhelming. What can you achieve now in order to build up to that big goal or dream?
- To follow #5, break those big goals up into smaller goals. What can you accomplish this week or month that will help you in the long run.
- Be specific & measurable when it comes to your intentions. Maybe you have a goal of traveling. Where are you traveling, when are you going, who will you go with, how long will you stay, what will you do there, how will it make you feel? Think of it all!
- Have an action plan. How will you accomplish what you set out to do. Great, you have an goal, how will you bring it to life?
- Break your intentions into categories: personal, professional, creative, relationships, self-development, etc.
- Be kind to yourself. If you don’t accomplish everything, there is always next year. There is ALWAYS room for improvement no matter where you are at in life. If you thought you’d be in a different place this time last year, give yourself some grace. Life is about growth. There is no such thing as perfection.
New Year’s resolutions should be enjoyable & exciting.
I know I had a really wonderful time thinking about my intentions for this coming year. I have some really good ones that I can’t wait to explore. A few things that I’m really excited about is following an intuitive plant based diet, creating a consistent mediation practice, learning reiki, reading more, being more mindful & growing this blog!
I have a feeling that 2019 is going to be such a fantastic year! In a world that is all go-go-go, let’s all try to be present & be aware of ourself & others throughout this year. There are opportunities for growth everywhere we look.
Do you have any resolutions? If so, I’d love to hear in the comments below!

This is super on point dear, especially the last part. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Indeed, life is about growth, so never stop becoming a better version of yourself.
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
Wow, thanks so much for your comment! I found your blog recently & absolutely love it…so inspiring!! Happy New Year! xo
Happy New Year as well. I also believe in writing things down, I write everything really, especially in my calendar, which probably looks like a crazy person wrote it 🙂 I also like the pictures you used in this post.
Dorota
http://www.journalofdorota.com
Thank you so much!! I’m the same way, my planner has literally everything written down…just can’t help myself lol! Happy New Year! xo
I set so many goals/resolutions for 2019! I am excited to start using these tips to make them happen! Thank you!
So nice to hear! Best of luck to you in 2019! xo
Happy New Year! I love these tips and tricks! Thank you!
Thanks for reading! Happy New Year! xo
I love how you talked about setting tangible goals. You’re so right — when a goal seems unreachable and impossible it’s so much harder to do! Happy New Year babe! https://www.allthingslexington.com
Thank you so much for reading! Happy New Year to you too! xo
This is really great advice! Planning for the new year is always so exciting.
I agree Barbara!! Happy New Year! Thanks for stopping by! xo
This was so helpful and I do love the pictures you used and the way you write! ❤️
Aw thank you so much…really appreciate you saying that! Happy New Year! xo
I LOVE your photos! Great post and great images. Improving my images is definitely one of my goals.
Thanks so much Nicole!! That’s a great goal, it really makes such a difference!! Happy New Year! xo
Yes, reflection is definitely key to keeping those resolutions and beyond. Thanks for the tips!
Cheers,
Denise | http://theelleaesthetic.com/
You’re welcome Denise, Happy New Year! Thanks for stopping by!
-Madi xo
I try to set a bunch of small goals. It makes things feel more achievable!
Yes, absolutely Cindy! Thank you for reading! xo
I have noticed over the years that writing them down makes a world of difference. Your post has truly inspired me. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, so glad you enjoyed it! Wishing you the best for 2019! xo