How to stick to a resolution – 4 great tips

Welcome to our 2019 How-to Series! How many times a week do you type into a search engine, How to ___________? Your credit union is here to help you answer all of those financial “how-to” questions and we even threw in some fun topics to explore.

This month, we are going to focus on “how-to stick to a resolution.” We are 10 days into a brand new year. Did you make a resolution this year? And the real question… How’s it going? If you haven’t chosen a resolution or you have already stumbled a little, we are here with 4 great tips on sticking to your resolution.

Is your resolution realistic?

“I’m going to save $10,000 this year.” “I’m going to lose 50 lbs this year.” These are great examples of BIG yearly goals. But, are they really realistic? For some people, these could be achievable. For many of us, these goals are not realistic. As soon as we stumble, we quit! Instead, take baby steps. Create a smaller, more achievable goal and build up to the bigger goals.

Instead of saving $10,000 in one year, start by taking a look at your budget and determining how much you can save and still have a balanced life. Instead of eating out 5 days a week, how about making your goal to eat out 1 meal a week and put the extra money into savings. Small steps that equal big results. If you have a savings goal, check out our great savings products to help you reach your goals including our vacation and Christmas club accounts. 

Is it measurable?

Be sure to choose a goal that you can measure the results. For example: “I’m going to be happier this year,” is a great goal for the New Year.  But how do you measure your happiness and even compare it to the year before. Instead, choose a goal that can be measured. “I’m going to do this one activity that makes me happy every week.” THAT is a goal that can be measured.

Have you created a time frame to reach your goal?

A year is a long time and can be very overwhelming when thinking about doing something you find challenging EVERY day. Instead, create goals to be accomplished over a shorter time frame. Plan your resolution for 30 days and then review where you are at the end of those 30 days! This will also help you determine if it is realistic. If you didn’t achieve your goal in the first 30 days, you can adjust your goals and start again the following month. Check out our financial challenge series for ideas on financial goals with specific time frames.

Tomorrow is a new day!

If you are anything like us, as soon as we make a bad choice or fail in our mission, we quit. We are supposed to be eating healthy and we give in and indulge in that ice cream sundae at lunch time. Now, we’ve given up for the rest of the week. We’ll begin again on Monday. Sound familiar? Tomorrow is a new day! Whatever your resolution is, you have the very next day to start again. Go back at it! You may have stumbled, but you are NOT defeated! You get to go again!

Remember, we are here to help! If you have chosen a resolution that relates to your finances, meet with our expert loan officers to find out how we can help. We have unique products and services to meet your news and team with over 25 years financial experience. Contact us today!