New Year Resolutions: Four Steps for Success (And Some Estate Plan Advice, Too!)

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Studies show that at least 80 percent of New Year’s Resolutions fail. But that also means that 20 percent of us are successful – read on for our four step plan that will help you to be in that successful 20 percent.

1. Determine how long it will take you to achieve your goal

Yo​ur goal may be a long-term one: “I want to lose 30 pounds by my high school Reunion next Fall.”  Or it may be quicker: “I want to do Dry January.”

Before you can successfully achieve your goal, you need to be realistic about how long it’s going to take. You might even want to set multiple goals –  some quick, others longer-term, so you can feel successful with smaller, quicker resolutions while you work on your longer-term goals.

Some short terms goals can include:

• Developing a budget to help you save more (and using apps like Mint or You Need a Budget to help you stick to it) can give you a quick win, and make a big difference in your life.

• Drinking more water. You can start this one today – and with a range of apps that can remind you to drink throughout the day, this one is a low-lift, and easy to implement right away.

• Upcycle your wardrobe: give away those too-tight jeans you’re hoping to fit into. You’ll feel better about your body, have a motivator for losing weight (new clothes shopping!), feel good about helping others by donating your clothes, and get rid of clutter. You can do this in an afternoon!

• Get your Estate Plan done. At Ladimer Law, we’ve developed a process called Wills in a Week that can have you walking away with all your essential documents within five days, and requires only a commitment of two hours or less of your time.

2. Visualize Yourself Completing Your Goal

We are big believers in visualization.  Why visualize your goals?  One of the main reasons we fail at sticking to our resolutions is motivation. Winter is long, dark, and cold and it is easy to give up when we just want to snuggle in our fleece and eat comfort food.  Visualization can remind you why you’ve set your goals, and what things will look like for you once you’ve accomplished them.

 Picture your high school reunion and how happy and comfortable you will feel in that new dress you’ve been eyeing.  Or (shameless plug alert!) picture yourself walking out of the Ladimer Law office with your brand new estate planning binder!

3. Take the first step

Big goals can be daunting. That’s why it makes sense to break them down into smaller milestones and work toward them.  Get yourself an early win by committing to your first step – and then crossing it off your to-do list.

 If your New Year’s Resolution is to start and stick to a meal-planning habit, you can set your first step/milestone to be something as simple as downloading an app or meal planning schedule, and generating your first shopping list.  That’s low time-commitment, easy to do, and can deliver a win within the first week.

 If updating your estate plan is on your list of resolutions, you can contact Ladimer Law and schedule your Estate Planning Consult. See? Easy!

4. Block off time on your calendar to do it!

Life gets in the way.  If starting a new exercise routine is one of your resolutions (or like many people, one of your resolutions EVERY YEAR), you know that work, family, and other pressures can make it easy to push your goal aside. If you schedule your exercise in, it won’t be as easy for your boss, co-workers, or family to derail you right off the bat.

If writing that novel you’ve always dreamed of publishing is your goal for 2021, then having time set aside each day to write (and visualize your book on the shelves of your local Barnes & Noble) is critical to making that a reality.

And of course, see # 3 above – it’s easy to schedule your estate planning consult with Ladimer Law!

 With a little bit of organization, you CAN achieve your goals, and be within that 20 percent of people who successfully stick to their New Year Resolutions.  And if you get your estate plan done, too?  Well, that’s just icing on the cake – and critically important for peace of mind in 2021 and beyond!