How to Actually Achieve Your New Years Resolutions

1. Choose a Main Sentence that encapsulates the life you want to live this year. Think of a simple, but special idea that makes you happy when you picture yourself in it. This is the big picture.
   • ex: A social life that is full of good friends and exciting extroverted events.
2. Specify what your Main Sentence entails. What is that big idea all about? Break your phrase down into shortened, specific aspects.
   • ex: making friends, confidence, social events, conversations, opening up, traveling, getting out of my comfort zone
3. Brainstorm ways to reach the ideas that make up your Main Sentence. How can you achieve those smaller parts? Think of actions that will allow you to reach them.
   • ex: talking to more people, building myself up, visiting different places, tasting new food, expressing how I feel
4. Plan correlating habits. Simplify these actions into direct and straightforward activities, which you can do on a regular basis. Next, fit them into your schedule, at least once every few days. Plan out the specific times and places.
   • ex: compliment one stranger every day, take weekly cooking classes starting in May, buy travel and self-confidence books, call an old friend every Thursday, ask my closest coworker to try a new restaurant with me the next time we talk, go on a mini road trip upstate once a month, join a consistent hiking group this afternoon, audition for a role in the local theater production by November

By breaking down what you really want into smaller steps, you’re living out parts of your dream life every day and are always on the path of reaching the life you desire.