How to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions or Goals This Year

I used to set New Year’s Resolutions. They would typically be to lose weight and save money. Year after year I would set the same New Year’s Resolutions. Some years I would have some success, others I would end the year disappointed at my progress. Then a few years ago, I decided I would no longer set a New Year’s Resolution. Instead, I would set a goal for the year. Again, I would have some success and some disappointment at my progress.

After years of disappointment, I decided this year to look back at the years that I had success and the years that I felt that I had not met my New Year’s Resolutions or Goals. What did I do differently when I had success?

I decided that I needed to better understand the difference between a New Year’s Resolution and a Goal. According to the Webster’s Dictionary, a New Year’s Resolution is a promise to do something differently in the new year, and a Goal is the end toward which an effort is directed. My understanding of a New Year’s Resolution is the promise to change, and a Goal is the result that I want to obtain.

Next, I looked at the success that I had in 2022. I’ve lost a good amount of weight. I woke up one day and decided enough was enough and I was going to do something different (a New Year’s Resolution!) and that I was going to improve some of my health concerns (a Goal). And I did!

At the end of 2021, when I had that sick and tired moment and decided to take my health seriously, I knew I couldn’t do everything at once. I wasn’t going to wake up on 1/1/22 and run 5 miles, eat only protein, and drink 2 gallons of water. Instead, the day I decided to change, I did one thing. I spoke with my doctor and asked what the one thing is I can do to get me back onto the path of health. She suggested that I step away from sugar. If you’re like me, then you know that was a difficult change! I regarded sugar as the base of the food pyramid! My doctor and I discussed what I could do to satisfy my sweet tooth, and the importance of reducing or not eating the foods that I’m allergic to and how to substitute them. By the end of 2022, I had lost over 10% of my starting weight!

Prior to this, the other years that I felt that I had successfully achieved my New Year’s Resolutions and Goals for the year I had paid off over $34,000 in debt as a single parent. Again, I had a sick and tired moment, made a New Year’s Resolution, had a Goal, created a plan, and took one step. This is when I found the Dave Ramsey Plan. The first step I took was to create a budget and stick to it. It was hard for the first three or four months, but once I got going, I saw the plan working and I made progress towards my goal which was to be debt free.

For me, the New Year’s Resolution starts the moment I make the decision to make the change. It could be on a random Wednesday in May or on January 1. I have a sick and tired moment, make a promise to myself that I will change, have goal in mind, and most importantly, I create a plan. Let’s take my goal of paying off consumer debt.

1. To create a plan, you need to know what your goal is. Is it to pay off debt? If so, how much debt do you have? List the debt from smallest to largest. Also, list how much each debt’s minimum payment is.

2. Once you know how much you owe, look at how much you have in savings. Do you have $1,000 in savings for an emergency fund? If not, that is the first step. If you have more than $1,000, the rest should go towards your debt. If you don’t have $1,000 for a baby emergency fund, stay tuned and we will discuss how to save $1,000 quickly in the next blog post.

3. The next step is to create a budget. The budget starts with how much money you make (after taxes), subtract all your expenses, and the total at the bottom should be $0. The key to the budget is to write down how much you spend during the month in each category. This was a huge wake up call for me. I was spending a lot more in take out and groceries than I thought I was. Once I started to write down what I was spending as I was spending it, I was able to take control and stop myself from going over budget.

Making a Resolution and having a Goal is great, but you also need a plan. And a plan needs to be one step at a time. Something that is achievable. If my plan is to reduce my grocery budget to $50 for the month and take out $0, I know I am setting myself up for failure.

Most importantly, if you fall, pick yourself up and keep going. We all have times when life happens, or we make a mistake. Be kind to yourself and keep going immediately. Don’t wait for the first of the month, a Monday, or the next payday. Start now. You can do this.

Remember to be kind to yourself.