New year, new you: 10 tips for New Year's success

Last year, about 72 million Americans said they planned on following through with their New Year’s Resolutions, with 31% stating that they planned to work on self-improvement and close to 36% said they were working on advancing in their career. Now, whether or not they followed through on those resolutions is a different story.

Setting goals is a fantastic way to set yourself up for success in 2021, and embracing the new year, new you vibes is easier than you think as long as you’re planning for the future in ways that make sense. Here’s how to follow through on those New Year’s Resolutions this year.

How to really embrace “new year, new you”

1. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN

It’s hard to enjoy a new year, new you if you’re not quite sure what you’re even looking for in that new you. So, to set yourself up for success, begin by writing down all of your goals for the coming year. Everything (even if it seems silly). You’ll find that some goals aren’t worth your attention right now, and you’ll be able to weed out the ones that will genuinely make an impact on your life.

2. UNDERSTAND THE REASONS WHY

After you’ve set your goals for 2021, you’ll want to make sure you understand the reasons why those are goals that you want to achieve. What are you really hoping to get out of a new year, new year? This might take some soul searching, but after doing so, you’ll better understand the motive, which will help you know how to reach the end goal (or throw it out the window all together because you’ve found that the reason behind it wasn’t worth pursuing at all).

3. GET RID OF THE BAD VIBES

The new year, new you mentality begins inside of you but carries through to your surrounding space as well. Go ahead and clear that bad energy away from your workspace, personal space, or fitness space. Change things up. Remodel, redecorate, treat yourself to a new laptop or pair of running shoes. Whatever you do, just make sure it feels like you’re starting “fresh” and giving yourself the space in which to do so.

4. SHARE YOUR VISION WITH SOMEONE ELSE

Accountability is hard, we know. For New Year’s Resolution success, it helps to share your vision with someone else and take part in theirs as well. This not only helps increase your excitement but ups the ante a bit in terms of accountability. Take it one step further and share it on social media and there’s no way you’ll be able to not meet your goals.

5. PRACTICE POSITIVITY

Positive affirmations can help quite a bit, especially if what’s holding you back is negative self-talk. Start each day with a dose of positivity, whether in the form of a video, song, podcast, book or simply you talking to yourself and saying, “Actually, I am a boss and I can do this.” Do it once a day for 21 days and it’ll be a habit that’ll set you up for success in everything else you do, too.

6. ARM YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS

It’s hard to level up in life without the right tools. Assess your New Year’s Resolutions and figure out what tools you need to make them a reality. If you’re trying to start a side hustle, a Burner phone number and a new laptop can help. If your focus is on spending more time with your family away from work, figure out what can help you do that (hint: a Burner phone number can help with that too).

7. TAKE SMALL STEPS

Never, ever focus on the journey ahead; only focus on the next step in front of you. Break your goals up into smaller, more manageable goals. Then, focus on getting from one step to another and forget about the end result; rather, focus on productivity instead of pure output. You’ll get there when you get there and nobody is timing you or judging you. This year, new year, new you is truly all about you.

8. FOCUS ON “BEING” INSTEAD OF “DOING”

It’s best to set goals that have more of a “being” vibe than a “doing” vibe. This makes them easier to accomplish and often means that they’re more long-lasting goals that’ll help you develop as an individual. For example, instead of saying “I want to make more money,” set a goal that’s positioned as “I’d like to be more exceptional at my job while learning X skill this year.” The money will come as a result.

9. REWARD YOURSELF

Whatever you do, don’t forget to #treatyoself! Times are tough and we’re all just trying to get through this weird period of life. So, if you’ve got the guts to focus on a new year, new you then you deserve to reward yourself for milestones you reach. This makes self-improvement much easier and serves as a reminder that you deserve everything good coming at you.

10. STRIKE A BALANCE

The key to success hangs in a delicate balance between determination and rest. You can’t be your best if you’re exhausted all the time, so be sure to remember to pencil in some time away from work, workouts, and self-improvement binges. Get yourself a Burner number to help you separate the various areas of your new 2021 life and turn it all off whenever you’re just focusing on yourself.