The 7 Achievable New Year’s Resolutions You’ll Actually Keep

New Year’s resolutions: we all make them, and we (nearly) all break them. In fact, statistics* have shown that whilst a hefty proportion of us set out with the best of intentions, only 8% of us are actually successful in actually achieving our goals – eek!

The most common New Year’s resolutions often stay the same from year to year - with losing weight, getting organised and spending less money frequently topping the ‘what we want to achieve’ rankings. Whilst some resolutions are fairly straightforward, others – such as falling in love - can be a little trickier to fulfil, which begs the question: are we setting ourselves up to fail by choosing vague or unattainable aims? If we had simpler, clearer resolutions, would we be more likely to keep them?

Here at MyBag, we think so – and we’re here to help. If you’re struggling to choose a resolution (or want to tweak your existing ones!), we’ve got some suggestions – and we think they’re considerably more achievable than some of the classics…

Resolve to: get healthier (instead of: lose weight)

Losing weight is the most popular resolution of them all - which, after the indulgence of the Christmas period, is understandable. If only mince pies and champagne counted as one of our five a day…

However, setting yourself the task of losing X amount by X time can be unnecessarily stressful, and become a chore. Rather than focussing on scales, inches lost or dress sizes, try to get healthier instead: swap snacks for healthy balanced meals, and try to increase your movement throughout the day. Give cocktails a miss, and cook with fresh ingredients - rather than reheating last night’s pizza - and you’ll soon feel better inside and out.

Resolve to: date (instead of: fall in love)

If only falling in love was as easy as making a resolution – where’s Cupid?

Human relationships simply cannot be forced, and putting extra pressure on yourself to find THE ONE before 2018 is a tad extreme. Instead of assuming every person you meet could be Mr or Mrs Right, try setting yourself the goal of going on one date a month – a more relaxed approach will help love bloom naturally. Can we be invited to the wedding, please?

Resolve to: try something new (instead of: commit to something new)

Remember on New Year’s Eve - after your third glass of prosecco - when you decided you wanted to take up archery? And you’d become really good at it, and possibly compete in the Olympics? Yes, us too. Oops.

Taking up a new hobby in 2017 is a great idea – but what if you don’t like it? No-one wants to feel guilty for giving something up prematurely, or not seeing it through. That’s why we think TRYING is way more important, and should be your New Year’s resolution instead - even if it turns out you’re not that great at archery…

Resolve to: cut back (instead of: cut out)

Vowing to cut a bad habit out altogether can often backfire – research has suggested that drastically altering our everyday activity can actually cause us to self-sabotage. Uh-oh…

Instead of taking an ‘all or nothing’ approach, we think making small alterations to your life is the healthiest way to implement change. Whatever you’re looking to cut out of your life, do slowly – until you become accustomed to the change and it’s second nature. You’re welcome.

Resolve to: improve your fitness (instead of: run a marathon)

Erm, why did no-one tell us that a marathon is 26 miles? We’re regretting signing up to that training group now…

Whether you declared you wanted to run a marathon, compete in Iron Man or tackle a triathlon this year, you may be feeling a little apprehensive about it now. Rather than take on something so scary, start small and aim to improve your overall fitness – one step (or marathon!) at a time.

Resolve to: set yourself a budget (instead of: stop spending)

We all do it: vow to stop spending money in January, then splurge in the sales two days later. #SorryNotSorry…

If you’re wanting to tighten the purse-strings this year, be realistic: set yourself a budget (one which allows for the odd treat now and then!) and try and stick to it as best you can. Factor in food shops, any planned days out and (boo) your bills, and leave yourself a little wiggle room – to spend in MyBag’s sale, obvs.

Resolve to: keep things in perspective (instead of: being cheerful all the time)

You vowed to stay positive and super cheerful all year long, but by 10am on January 2^nd your resolve is waning. Only 363 days to go…

Let’s face it: staying cheerful (especially in January) can be seriously tricky. That’s why we think keeping things in perspective is a way better idea – because it’s totally okay to feel emotions other than positive. Try writing down one happy thing every day and reviewing the list at the end of the week, to remember everything good that’s happened – this is a surefire way to feel instantly cheered!