Every year, millions of people set out to make great New Year’s resolutions, promising to improve their lives. Often though, those initial resolutions lose their New Year heat, and come the next year many are wondering whatever happened to the resolution. There are many reasons why intentions go by the wayside, but I believe one of the biggest issues is the fact that people don’t know what to change, how to change, and how to make sure they see results. I would like to offer an action plan for your resolutions this year to ensure that change. I will explain each part, and then give you an example to follow.
Resolution:
- What you want to change.
Why:
- figure out why you want to change this part of your life--it will help focus your goal, and hopefully remind you of why the change was needed.
Action steps:
- Clear actions you will actually take in order to meet your goal. Add dates to help keep you on track.
Result:
- The goal in action. How you know that you have kept your resolution.
Example
Resolution/ Goal: "I want to save more money while also paying down my student loans."
Why: "I do not like to worry about money, and I do not want it to be a factor in choosing schools in the future. If I stick to my plan, I hope I will have enough money to cover my expenses, along with providing me with a cushion if something major comes up."
Steps:
- 1. Make a budget of monthly expenses: Phone, rent, student loans, medical insurance, and groceries.
- 2. I will designate a certain percent on money to spend on extra things each month, such as entertainment, clothes and not go beyond it.
- 3. I will figure out how to make my expenses go down, via discounts, go out a little less, maybe even move to a cheaper location.
- 4. I will make a clear budget on how much money to pay student loans over the next three years, and see where that puts me in relation to my total amount due. Result: I will not spend more money than I make. I will stick to my monthly budget, and I will not needlessly stress out about money.