Making Resolutions and Keeping them

This post first appeared in full on the Australian Women in Security Network Blog, the following is an excerpt.

I am stunned that we are already at the end of 2017! I know this will echo what many of you are already thinking but where did the year go?

As a year ends and another starts it is quite common for people to make resolutions. Sometimes they resolve to lose weight, get fit, stop smoking, pay off debt... endless lists!

According to Statistic Brain however only 9.2% of people succeed in their resolutions and, Business Insider stated that 80% of new year resolutions fail by February of that year!

So how do we make positive improvement resolutions  that we can keep?

Towards the end of the year I like reflect to on the year that was as I prepare for the year to be. So tonight, I am sitting in our lounge room with a cup of tea, thinking of the year and my goals and what I have achieved and learned. 

Targets are more likely to be achieved if the steps towards them are both realistic and feasible.

When making your plans for 2018, reconsider the standard resolutions that are often made while in party mode and are so vague they never stand a chance of being achieved, and think of two to three main things you wish to do or achieve in the year and make reachable plans on how to bring these into fruition. There is no guarantee that your goals will be achieved in the year, but at least this way you are working towards actual realistic outcomes with tangible steps.

What are your reflections of your resolutions or goals you made in January 2017? Have you achieved these goals/stuck to these resolutions? If yes, what did you do to ensure success? If not, what can you improve on next year to help your success?