Dear Dave,
I thought I was going to get control of my money and make a lot of other positive changes in my life this year, but very few of the things I wanted to accomplish happened. I started strong, and began with serious intentions, but somewhere along the way I lost focus. Can you give me some advice for making and sticking to my resolutions in 2022?
—Isaac
Dear Isaac,
Lots of people make big promises with the best intentions on December 31. It seems everyone comes up with a laundry list of New Year’s resolutions, but research shows very few people actually achieve their goals. If you’re ready—and I mean really ready—to reset your life and succeed with your New Year’s resolutions, here are a few simple, proven steps that’ll help.
And finally, make sure you reward yourself along the way. It’s tough to stay motivated when hitting your goal takes a while. Lots of folks start out at full speed, only to see the momentum disappear over time. You might treat yourself to a night at the movies when you’ve paid off the first $1,000 on your credit cards, or maybe a nice, new shirt when you’ve paid off half the card.
Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we think it will, Isaac. Our priorities can change, and our goals may change, too. If that’s why you didn’t make your resolutions happen this year, that’s fine. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s too late to change and improve your life!
—Dave