So you’ve just made a new year’s resolution? Well done and congratulations. You’ve probably heard that new year’s resolutions don’t work but with the right ingredients, they can. I’ve described your first step for the ten most common new year’s resolutions, according to a study by the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Is yours on the list?

For years I set new years resolutions. Some were realised but many weren’t. The reason some were achieved is because I had enough emotional weight behind making the change and to a large extent, I got lucky. The new year’s resolutions that I didn’t achieve were because I created them on a whim, they didn’t really inspire me, I didn’t have a plan, or I didn’t take action on them on a consistent basis. 

The University of Sydney states that approximately 50% of people will make a new year’s resolution. Of those people, only about 10% will actually achieve their resolutions. The statistics aren’t promising but that’s because, in my opinion, people make their resolutions on a whim and fail to plan. As the old saying goes, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’. 

An effective new year’s resolution is one that’s accompanied with goal setting. Great goal setting, as defined in my post, ‘I Just Signed Up for Best Year Ever Again and Here’s Why’, involves planning and requires that you’re deliberate. 

The Top Ten New Years Resolutions for 2015

1. Lose Weight. Losing weight is primarily about what you eat and drink. Keep a food diary and start by recording everything that passes through your lips. Reflect on your diary at the end of each week. 
   
   
2. Get Organised. Open an electronic calendar and enter absolutely everything that you have to do this week into it. Then enter everything that occurs on a regular basis. Next, enter any appointments that you know of in the next six months. Create a reminder for each item so that you’re prepared. 
   
   
3. Save Money. My favourite savings plan is the 52-week money challenge. Put aside $1 in the first week of the year, $2 in the second week of the year and so on, all the way to $52 in week 52. At the end of the year you’ll have saved $1,378. If that doesn’t inspire you and you can afford it, try the same plan but add a 0 to the end of each week. That’s $13,780 at the end of the year. Alternatively, take the average ($26 or $260) and put that away each week. 
   
   
4. Enjoy Life More Fully. Establish what that means to you. Is it progressing your career, spending more time with your family, finding love, having extra money to do things, or being more fit and healthy? Set aside 20 minutes to write specifically what you want and what that looks like to you. 
   
   
5. Stay Fit and Healthy. Book in to a group fitness class. Search for fitness classes in your area and contact the provider to book in. Commit now by making your payment immediately. 
   
   
6. Learn Something New. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do? Is it learn to play the guitar? Learn to dance salsa? Learn to speak another language? Look up providers online in your area and just like the resolution above, book in and commit by paying now. 
   
   
7. Quit Smoking. If you’ve just made this new year’s resolution, statistics suggest that you’ve made it before. If that’s the case, get excited because that means you’re one step closer to achieving this resolution. This is one of the hardest resolutions to achieve and might take a few attempts. Keep working towards achieving it. Make your first step this year to call your local Quitline, even if you’ve called them before. Here in Australia that number is 131848.
   
   
8. Help Others. What organisation inspires you? Look that organisation up online and find out more about what they do. Establish how you could help. It might be by donating your time or money. Donating your time is very honourable; however, donating money is also honourable. I’ve heard people say that donating money is effortless but sometimes you can help more people when you donate your money.
   
   
9. Fall in Love. Stop looking! I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that they found someone special when they weren’t looking. Be yourself and love yourself. When you’re true to who you are as in individual, you exude a confidence and attraction that is alluring. 
   
   
10. Spend More Quality Time with Family. Get intentional about it and schedule it. When life gets busy, it’s often the basic things, which in reality are the most important, that get put off first. Let’s face it; if this is your new year’s resolution, you’re not currently happy with the amount of time you’re spending with your family. Schedule an appropriate amount of time each week to spend solely with your family.

New year’s resolutions don’t have a high level of success. To enhance your success, turn your new year’s resolutions into goals, schedule time to work on them each week, and continually take action on the very next step. 

What’s your new year’s resolution? What will your very first action be? 

Share it with us in the comments section below.