Turn Your New Year’s Resolution into Habits

This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.

---

When the calendar turns to a new year, our instinct is to jump into a laundry list of New Year’s Resolutions.

Check out the Ultimate List of New Year’s Money Resolutions.

We are ready to start afresh with new beginnings, and eliminate bad habits.

The top six New Year’s Resolutions, according to Nielsen, include:

• to stay fit and healthy
• lose weight
• enjoy life to the fullest
• spend less and save more
• spend more time with family and friends
• get organized.

Money can be tied to each of those resolutions. How? We cannot get through a day that doesn’t revolve around money.

So, how can you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions? It is possible!

Follow these four steps to focus on New Year’s Resolutions and then, make them a habit.

Turn your New Year’s Resolutions into Habits:

1. Set Reasonable Expectations

The first step to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions is to have reasonable expectations.

For example, if you have 3 kids under 3 and want an hour of quiet time every day. You might be setting yourself up for failure. Modify it to 2-3 days a week with an hour of quiet time.

When it comes to money, you may want to save more money.

But, are struggling to make ends meet. Check out the Save Age Challenge, which is a manageable way to start saving.

By setting reasonable expectations, you are able to stick to them.

More importantly, the goal is to make them a habit. So, with reasonable expectations, you can accomplish them and feel success!

Related Resource for you: Money Bliss Steps for Financial Freedom

2. Write the New Year’s Resolution on Paper

If you don’t write down your New Year’s Resolution, it is like throwing ideas to the wind. There is zero accountability.

For New Year’s Resolutions to stick, you must write them down.

AND…Not in just one place, in multiple places to be seen frequently throughout the day.

Know your weak spots and put a sticky note with your resolution in that place.

Maybe set an ongoing alarm to remind you. For example, you want to stop grabbing takeout for an easy dinner. Set an alarm to meal plan once a week.

Write your New Year’s Resolutions on paper. If you want to roadmap your New Year’s Resolution, then use a planner.

Money Bliss Learning Centers:

• Budgeting
• Cash Flow Killer (DEBT)
• Save Money
• Make Money

3. Create an Action Plan

New Year’s Resolutions are great!

You are ready to start new beginnings in January. By February, your New Year’s Resolutions may be fading in the wind.

You did the first two steps – set reasonable expectations and write them down.

The next step is to create an action plan.

How do you plan to accomplish your action plan? 

• Does it involve the help of others?
• Do you need to carve out time in your busy schedule to reach your New Year’s Resolution?
• What are the lessons you learned that have held you back in the past?
• How can you improve on any action plans you have tried?

Make an action plan to continue progress.

When we decided to pay off debt, we made a plan (read more on our debt story).

4. Set Mini, Monthly Goals

This is the last and most important step for New Year’s Resolutions to stick.

More importantly, this is where resolutions turns into habits.

Take the New Year’s Resolution and break it into pieces – little step needed to achieve the New Year’s Resolution.

Then, look at your action plan and take those steps and divide it into mini goals to achieve each month.

Now, you are able to handle bite-sized chunks and add them up to achieve your New Year’s Resolution!

Make a Habit Recap

While we were adjusting from going from two incomes to one income, our New Year’s Resolution was to tighten up our discretionary spending – AKA Fun Spending. (For more on Fun Spending, check out the Cents Plan Formula). So, each month we would focus on mini goals. Each month we had mini goals, which included a no-fun spending month, no eating out month, no-spend date nights, etc.

Are you Up for a Spending Freeze?

This is broken down even further in My Ultimate Money Blueprint. By using these strategies, it helped us to stay focused on our big goal to transition from two incomes to one.

Here is the ultimate list of New Year’s Money Resolutions.

All in all, you can achieve your New Year’s Resolution using these four simple steps. Plus you can turn your New Year’s Resolution into a habit.

Don’t become a statistic on those who fail their New Year’s Resolution in February.

Use the four steps to stick to your New Year’s Resolution.

Top Money Bliss Tips to Help with Your New Year’s Resolutions:

• Money Lessons You Must Master to Find Success and Build Wealth
• 40 Financial Experts Divulge Their Best Money Management Tips
• Why a Thrifty Lifestyle is Something You Need Today
• Top 10 Influential Frugal Living Tips with a Big Impact

Comment below and tell me about your New Year’s Resolution.

Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!