The New Year is a time for new beginnings and setting goals in recovery. You start out strong, fully focused, and motivated to succeed. But as the days and weeks wear on, it can be easy to let your resolutions slip by the wayside and stray off track. Putting a resolution action plan in place can help you stay engaged and follow through with your goals past January.

The first thing to do is evaluate your resolutions and make sure they’re realistic and achievable. Setting your sights too high can add unnecessary stress and lead to feelings of disappointment if you fall short. Your resolutions aren’t set in stone – you can always adjust them as you make progress to keep yourself motivated.

Also, make sure your goals are something you want, not something you’re doing to make someone else happy. When you are personally invested, it’s easier to stay on track and it makes success that much sweeter.

Building Your Action Plan

Now that you’ve determined your resolution, it’s time to stick with them:

• Break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable parts. For instance, start by going to the gym two days a week, then increase it to three or four days. Ease your way into things so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
• Make it part of your routine. If your goal is to read a book a month, schedule time into each day just for reading and hold yourself to it. Soon it will be like second nature.
• Tell someone about your resolutions. This can hold you more accountable because you don’t want to disappoint and want to prove that you can succeed. They can also provide encouragement along the way.
• Celebrate small successes. Waiting until the end of the year to reward yourself is too far off. Make your resolutions more relevant by celebrating your achievements along the way.
• Put it in writing. Whatever you want to do, write it down as a visual reminder. Create a fun chart to track your progress and see how far you’ve come.

Resolutions don’t have to be short-lived. Bring your goals to fruition by setting a resolution action plan that makes them more achievable and makes you feel empowered.

What are your resolutions for 2016? Share with us on Facebook!