Happy New Year! Oh wait, I’m two weeks late. I don’t know about you, but 2015 is off to an awesome start. And I definitely plan on making it even better, with some Nifty new Year’s Resolutions.

I know what some people are thinking: New Years Resolutions…*eye roll.* “If you’re going to make a change, do it now, don’t wait till New Years!” Or, “They never work, so why make them?” New Years Resolutions get a bad rap, which I find unfortunate, because they can actually be hugely important. The new year is completely symbolic of “fresh starts,” and what better time for a little goal setting and self improvement than that? Plus, with the large majority of the world vying for some self-improvement as well, you’ll have lots of people to journey with.

BUT, new years resolutions are HARD! In fact, a guy I went to college with posted a status today stating, “So, when’s a good time to start going to the gym? When do the new years resolutioners go away?” Point and case: they simply are hard to keep up. I know first hand. However, I also have learned how to make them more successful. Hence, today’s post. So, today I share with you my 8 tools for making 2015’s New Years Resolutions your most successful yet!

1. Keep it simple: One year (circa 2010) I was determined to get fit, save money, keep in touch with friends better, keep my room clean more, be more outgoing, get better grades, and listen more. That’s a heck of a lot of things to keep track of! Since then, I’ve learned to pick my two (maybe three) most important items. Otherwise I’m just plain overwhelmed.

2. Be specific: Back to number 1- “get fit…” that’s pretty vague. As is “save money.” I’ve altered these to “Go to the gym 4-5 times a week, and incorporate at least one cup of veggies into my day (a lot for a non-veggie lover like myself).  Another example: “Put away 10% of my paycheck towards savings,” vs “save money.” Now THAT seems more doable.

3. Start with small goals, and work up: This pairs nicely with being specific. For example, “Lose 5 pounds by Feb.1. By March 1. 10 pounds.” My biggest new years resolution is to drink more water (I literally drink almost none a day). My boyfriend told me I need to be drinking a gallon a day. While I don’t think I will ever be at that level, I committed to starting with 55 oz a day, and once I (and my bladder) get used to that, I can increase it as I feel needed. Breaking it down makes a very broad goal more achievable, less daunting, and more successful.

4. Keep some sort of record of your journey: It’s helpful to write these things down to be able to track your success, as well as times and days that present the most difficulty. Keeping record of these things ensures you’ll be most self-aware, and thus, successful.

5. Share your goals: One of the reasons I love new years resolutions most! If you were to tell someone your goals at this time of year, your most likely response would be “Oh yeah me too!” My boyfriend and I decided that we were both making new years resolutions of committing to the gym 4-5 days a week. As he confessed to me yesterday “OK, if you’re going to the gym today, I’ll go too. We’re in this together and I can’t let my side of the deal slide.” We’re able to keep each other accountable, encourage one another, and also say “It’s ok, you’ve had a really rough day. Take a day off.”

6. Reward Yourself: Like I said, these things are HARD WORK! So when you’re finding success the worst thing you can do is negate it by not rewarding yourself! When I actually worked out 5 days last week, I rewarded myself with an alarm-free morning Saturday morning. HOWEVER, make sure that your reward is in line with your resolution. For instance, if your goal is to eat healthier, don’t reward yourself with “comfort food.” And if it’s to save money, make sure your reward isn’t super pricey.

7. Forgive Yourself: On the other side of the coin, we all mess up. Things happen that we don’t account for (i.e. car troubles, crises at work, a really bad day, etc.). Or, if you’re like me, that 10% of your paycheck you were supposed to put away mysteriously was spent on an amazing pillow cover at Pottery Barn (oops). And sometimes we (I) just need to say “I’ll get back at it tomorrow.” Forgiving yourself is just as important as rewarding yourself.

8. Check up and Reassess ever 1-3 months: When I write down my goals, I like to look back at them every few months to see how I’m doing. Am I still hitting the gym 4 days a week? How many days per week am I actually eating veggies? Have I saved as much money as I hoped I would have 2 months ago? If I’m not finding much success, I make necessary changes. “Alright, so maybe I put away 10% of one paycheck, and 5% of another.” Or, “I’m not making it to the gym 4 days a week. But I think I can do three.” OR, if you’re a rockstar, up the ante!

No one can ever be successful at everything, but hopefully these tools help make your new years resolutions seem a bit more possible, and leave you feelin optimistic about 2015…I know we are!

And, if you’re looking for some additional tools/motivation, check out some of our favorite goodies that have been helping us out…

This Eat Pretty book has all the info you need about your diet and feeling and looking your most beautiful!

The Passionate Vegetable is so informative and chock-full of veggie-tastic recipes! (Great for someone like me trying to increase veggie intake!)

Water, water, water! Especially if you’re hitting the gym. I’ll be honest and admit that my water bottle totally makes me more motivated to drink it. Is that weird? Try this water bottle, or this one, to keep you hydrated in 2015.

The fitbit is the new “it” fitness tool…do you have one? Our mom swears by hers!

I love my food scale…helps me keep my proportions in check! What do you mean I can’t eat two cups of peanut butter…..?

Trying to get organized in 2015? A planner is your best start. There is absolutely no way I could live without mine!

You got this!