How to Really Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions This Year!

A new year signifies a fresh start and many people take this opportunity to set goals and make positive changes in their lives. This is where the concept of "New Year's Resolutions" comes from. As time goes by, many people find that achieving their New Year's resolutions gets further away because setting goals is trickier than you think! If you're ready, let's take some time to plan and set your goals, and see how you can make it happen.

What is a New Year's Resolution?

A New Year's Resolution is a goal or promise you make to yourself at the beginning of a year to improve yourself or give back to others or society. For example, losing weight, learning a new skill, saving money or participating in community activity. People usually set their New Year's resolutions to start on January 1st of each year.

Why do people set New Year's resolutions?

• Perfect time for a fresh start: The new year is like a clean slate, perfect for reinventing yourself. It's like a new season of a TV series where you get to watch a better version of yourself.
• Source of motivation: Setting goals gives you something to strive for, something to look forward to. It's a way to motivate yourself to do things that are good for you and others.
• Source of hope: It creates hope that this year will be better than the last. It's a belief that you can achieve great things.

Why Your New Year's Resolutions Might Not Work

• Are your goals too big?
  • Overly ambitious goals can be demotivating. You might feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and think it's impossible to achieve them. This can lead to easily giving up. For example, a goal of saving millions of baht when you typically save only tens of thousands.

• Lack of planning?
  • At work, we usually create plans to complete our projects. The same goes for New Year's resolutions. Having a goal without a plan can make it harder to get started. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, which needs a lot of determination, but you don't have a specific diet or exercise plan, it’s easy to procrastinate because you don't know where to start.

• Lack of motivation?
  • Lack of motivation can make it difficult to stick to your goals. If you don't really want to achieve it, it will be easy to just give up.

How to Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions

The key to achieving your New Year's Resolutions is to make it easy to start. The more detailed and easy your plan is, the more likely you are to succeed. Here are some easy tips:

• Break Down Big Goals into Smaller Ones: It's easier to tackle a large goal when you break it down into smaller, more manageable steps.

• Set SMART Goals:

  • Specific: Your goal should be clear and well-defined. For example, instead of "I'm going to save money this year," try "I'll save 3 months' worth of living expenses in an emergency fund by setting aside a portion of my income each month before spending it."
  • Measurable: Your goal should be quantifiable for success. For instance, "I will save 2,000 baht per month" or "I will save 10% of my income each month."
  • Achievable: Your goal should be realistic and not too difficult. If you earn 20,000 baht per month, aiming to save 300,000 baht in a year is unrealistic.
  • Relevant: Your goal should be meaningful and aligned with your values. For example, you might save an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses like losing your job or unexpected medical bills.
  • Time-bound: Your goal should have a deadline. For instance, "I will save enough for an emergency fund by the end of the year."

• Create an Action Plan: Develop a detailed plan and outline specific steps you'll take. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, create a weekly meal plan, realistic exercise schedule and set a targeted weight.
• Find a Buddy: Partner with a friend or family member who shares your goal. Having someone to support and hold you accountable can make a big difference.
• Reward Yourself: Celebrate your small wins along the way. Rewarding yourself can boost your motivation and keep you on track.

Practical New Year's Resolution Examples

• Finances

  • Track Income and Expenses : Monitor your daily spending to create a personal budget.
  • Create a Personal Budget : Once you know your monthly expenses, you can better predict future costs and manage your money more effectively.
  • Pay Yourself First : Automate savings by setting up recurring transfers to a savings account.
  • Save for an Emergency Fund : Aim to save 3-6 months' worth of living expenses in a high-interest savings account on Bangkok Bank Mobile Banking.
  • Cut Unnecessary Expenses : Consider challenges like "No Buy Month" or limit dining out
  • Limit Credit Card Use : Reduce your daily spending limit and pay off your balance in full each month.
  • Invest : Consider mutual fund investment by subscribing to the DCA (Dollar Cost Average) monthly feature on Bangkok Bank Mobile Banking.

• Health

  • Set a target for weight to lose within 3 months.
  • Exercise 4 times a week.
  • Get 8 hours of sleep per night.
  • Refrain from eating sweets, fried food, and junk food for 1 month.

• Personal Development

  • Learn a new language.
  • Read one book per month.
  • Develop a new skill, such as coding or taking an online course.

• Relationships

  • Take a family vacation.
  • Have dinner with friends once a month.
  • Join a club or group to meet new people.

Setting New Year's resolutions is a great way to kickstart a positive year. By creating a detailed plan and staying committed you can achieve your goals. Remember to stick to the plan, celebrate your successes along the way and stay motivated. Have a great year!