New Years is the most popular time of year for people to hit the reset button. A resolution is like a promise to yourself and your family to improve your lives. Wanting to make resolutions year after year is a good thing, because it indicates that you have the motivation to facilitate a change in your life.  Resolutions can vary greatly! Maybe you want to lose weight, write a book, or run a marathon. Whatever your goal may be for the new year it is important to make sure that you have the tools and are on the right path to achieve your goals.

On episode two of The Planning Parent Podcast I sit  down with New Year’s Resolution coach Carly Tizzano to talk about how to create resolutions that you can stick with.

How To Create Your New Years Resolution

For some, the most difficult part of creating a new years resolution is creating it. Many don’t know where to start or how to go about creating their resolutions. Carly mentions that before starting to create your resolutions ask yourself these four questions

What kind of life do I want to create?

What steps can I realistically take to get there?

Where do I want to be a year from now?

Who do I want to be?

Being able to answer these four questions is essential when creating your resolutions. These questions will help you figure out what you genuinely want for yourself in the New Year.

The second step to creating your New Years resolutions is to write them down. Carly states that you are more likely to keep your resolutions if you write them down. Being able to see physically see your goals somewhere helps keep you motivated and is a constant reminder of the goals you are trying to accomplish. One thing that I like to do is keep a vision board as my background on my iPad, so that I can see it everyday.

Issues with New Years Resolutions and Keeping Them   

Lets be honest, keeping resolutions can be extremely difficult. At the beginning of the year, we are motivated and have that “fresh start” to keep us going. As months go by we might get busy or simply, life just happens. I know that when I have made resolutions I am able to keep them for months, then I tend to fall off the wagon for a while but that doesn’t mean we can’t get back to our goals. Carla gives us some tips and tricks to help us keep our goals.

Be Realistic

It is essential to be realistic when you are setting your New Years resolutions. As busy parents your time and availability will differ than someone who doesn’t have children. As a parent, you will most likely need structures and systems. This means that if you want to go to the gym, maybe you need a babysitter. Or maybe you have to wake up before your kids do to get that workout in. As a parent it is important to be realistic about what you can do with the time you have. It is also important to look at your kids as an asset and not a limitation! Have your kids exercise with you or maybe you can use your older kids as accountability partners. Look at the attempts you have had in the past and figure out a structure that will make you successful.

Finding Motivation After Losing Momentum

Falling off the wagon can be extremely discouraging and getting back on track can be even more difficult. Things come up in life that may derail our New Years resolutions but Carly encourages listeners to give themselves grace. It is important to recognize that hiccups happen and the path to reach your goals is never linear. Carly also advises that you don’t have to start fresh right away and that any day can be your fresh start. Return to your vision of why and keep visualizing where you want to be. Reminding yourself that you have a vision of yourself and who you want to be not only for yourself but for your family, will help you regain your motivation. Carly also mentions that having an accountability partner can help keep you motivated if you do have a slip.

What resolutions do you have for this year? Whatever you decide in order to make 2022 a better year for you and your family, pick resolutions that you can stick to, and do the best you can to accomplish your goals. Remember that if you stick with your goals, you can look at yourself at the end of year and be proud of the goals that you accomplished. Don’t forget to give yourself grace and remind yourself that you can do this!!!

Download Carly Tirazzos free printables in order to help you stay on track with your New Years resolutions!

Remember – take a deep breath. You do matter. You’re doing a great job.