Making New Year resolutions is almost impossible to resist. The festive period has usually provided time for reflection and the chance to gain a fresh perspective on life. And so we can find ourselves with renewed enthusiasm for change and self-improvement and a determination to set new goals and see them through.

However, if you’re like most people, your progress towards your new goals won’t always be smooth. For some you might already be enjoying the rewards but others may be starting to look unrealistic and fading from view. The enthusiasm isn’t felt so keenly and determination is a little dented.

It’s important to remember that improving this year isn’t just about that end goal. These three tips will help you appreciate the ups and the downs of your process so that you’ll feel better and live more thoroughly all along the way. 

It can be difficult to sustain the positive momentum you feel at the beginning of the year. Once you’ve settled on a goal and worked on your daily to-do list, that goal can start to feel less inspiring and more like a chore. 

To keep fatigue from setting in, look for small ways to keep challenging yourself. Are you meeting your monthly savings goals with ease? Aim 10% higher next month. Have you already hit your weekly exercise goal? Schedule an extra morning session tomorrow. Ahead of schedule on an important work project? Start dreaming up your next transformative initiative. 

Remember, the reason you set goals at the beginning of the year was because you wanted to keep improving. What could you accomplish in the next twelve months if you kept moving back your goalposts just 1% every day – and kept hitting those more ambitious targets as well?

This sounds like a cliché, but it’s really a way of challenging yourself to build resilience and reset your course when necessary. 

People who are easily discouraged are among the most likely to abandon their new year resolutions before spring. One missed day of exercise snowballs into a lethargic week. An undisciplined splurge purchase or an unanticipated household repair throws off a monthly budgeting goal. A couple of emergency Zoom calls from work and suddenly your personal todo list is just becoming a backlog. 

When life gets in the way of your goals, try to separate things you have control over from things you don’t. There’s not much you can do if your car breaks down other than write a cheque and get your budget back on track next month. But if you’ve stumbled because of something that you can control, assessing what went wrong could be a key to meeting your long-term goals. If all the positivity in the world can’t turn you into a morning person, don’t quit your morning run – just move it to the late afternoon. If working from home has made it hard for you to unplug, take another look at your daily schedule. Setting clear boundaries can make your work time more efficient and your personal time more worthwhile. 

As you progress towards your 2021 goals, you aren’t just going to save more, get healthier, or learn something new. You’re going to discover things about yourself. Checking off daily tasks might reveal a skill you want to develop or an interest you want to explore more deeply. Working towards a goal with your spouse might add a new dimension to your relationship. Perhaps you’ll realize you’re working towards a goal that isn’t really going to fulfill you and change course for the rest of the year. 

The things you learn and accomplish along this journey are all worth celebrating. Treat your spouse to a date night when you’ve reached a new savings milestone. Upgrade your running gear when you’ve passed a hundred miles for the year. 

Or just give yourself a night off to relax, reflect, and watch an extra episode or three of your current binge. 

Don’t forget that our Life-style Financial Planning service is designed to help you anticipate and work towards major life goals. So do please feel free to call and chat about your new financial goals. 

With hopes for a great 2021 !