New year, new resolutions. May you achieve your new goals!

The new year has begun. For many people, this is the perfect time to start making their New Year's resolutions. Making resolutions is often easy, but actually carrying them out is another matter. It's especially important not to give up if you want to achieve your goals. With the tips below, you'll be sure to keep your New Year's resolutions!

Stay realistic

Make sure the goals you set are realistic. The greater the chance you'll achieve them. For example, work with interim goals: if you want to lose ten kilos, set your first interim goal to lose two kilos. This way, you can reward yourself along the way and know you're on the right track. This also makes it easier to maintain.

One goal at a time

Changing certain habits often takes a lot of time, effort, and energy. A habit isn't something you can change overnight. In fact, it takes an average of 66 days before you've formed a new habit and it's become part of your routine. Therefore, it's important to stay focused on one goal at a time. Trying to tackle too many things at once can actually cause stress, which can ultimately prevent you from achieving any single goal.

Make your goals measurable

Is your resolution to exercise more this year? That's a very broad concept. You can make this goal measurable by saying, for example: I want to walk for at least 30 minutes four days a week. This way, you make your goal more concrete and are more likely to achieve it.

Write down your goals

Writing down your goals helps you create concrete action plans. This makes things much clearer for yourself and helps you know exactly what steps you can take to achieve them.

Share your goals with others and seek support

Sharing your goals with others can be daunting, especially since they'll know if you haven't achieved them. But it can also be quite different. Others might be able to help you achieve your goals. Or perhaps you know people with similar resolutions, so you can find support and motivate each other.

Reward yourself

And last but not least: reward yourself! For example, take yourself out to dinner once you've achieved a (interim) goal, or buy yourself something nice. This will also motivate you to keep going!