The holidays give us the opportunity to enjoy good food, spend time with loved ones, and reflect on the past year: our accomplishments, our joys, and our goals going forward. However, while we might create lofty plans for 2017 in the excitement of the season, recent research from the University of Scranton shows that only 8% of us follow through on our resolutions. Here are some of our favorite ways to stick to our resolutions throughout this year and into the next.
Define realistic, concrete goals
Wanting to lose weight, save more money, and enjoy life to the fullest are popular resolutions, but they lack specificity. With such a generic aim, you don’t know what exactly you’re hoping to achieve, potentially leaving you frustrated or more likely to cheat. Instead, define your plan with realistic benchmarks: do you want to exercise 30 minutes every other day? How much money will you put aside each month? You’ll have an easy way to track your progress and remember exactly what you’re aiming for.
Share your resolutions
You aren’t expected to do this alone. Telling your family and friends or posting updates on social media provides you with a much-needed support system. It can help keep you on track and provide you with encouragement, motivation, and reassurance throughout the process. However, make sure not to compare yourself to others. Everyone’s experience looks different, and your resolution should be viewed as a long-term change, rather than a competition.
Don’t be discouraged!
Adapting to a new lifestyle is difficult and it’s only natural to face challenges along the way. By acknowledging and working through them, you’ll be able to deal with missteps without them derailing you permanently.
Happy New Year’s from Juniper Capital! As Seattle private money lenders, we’re here to answer any questions about hard money loans or Seattle real estate loans you might have going into 2017.
