Are you making one of these NY resolution mistakes?

You're hell bent on dropping 5kg and speaking fluent Spanish by February 1. You want to buy a house in Ponsonby without sacrificing your daily smashed avocado obsession. You want to give up your daily flat white all while climbing the corporate ladder and getting that promotion you missed out on last year. 

If you've fallen prey to #NewYearNewMe and have a list as long as your arm of all the things you want to achieve in 2018 then you're not alone. But, did you know that a mere 8% of people actually manage to keep their lofty New Year's resolutions? 

Believe it or not, there's a right and wrong way of setting yourself up for success this year. Setting unrealistic goals is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to missing the mark on your yearly resolutions, and it's not the only one. 

Set yourself up for a winning 2018 by avoiding one of these New Year's resolution mistakes. 

1. Your goals read like a shopping list

If your New Year's resolution list features as many line items as your weekly supermarket shop, then you've overcooked it. Setting too many resolutions puts you at risk of weighing yourself down and achieving none of them. Each goal should be a statement of short-term intentions. You're better off choosing one or two items at most, and focus on completing those. 

2. Your goals aren't specific enough

Deciding you're going to try harder at work sounds good in theory, but is it measurable? Not really. The more measurable your goal is, the easier it will be to track your progress and establish whether this goal has been achieved or not. Set specific benchmarks in place to measure your end point, or be more specific with your overarching goal, e.g. ask for more responsibility at work. Remember to document your progress as you go!

3. You're being unrealistic

The difference between achieving or not achieving your 2018 goals all hinges on this question - can you actually do it? We both know that you saying you're going to climb Everest and buy shares in Bitcoin by February 2 is never going to happen. Don't set yourself up to fail, as this will only make you feel worse. Focus instead on attainable, enjoyable goals and the reasons why these goals will benefit you in the long term. 

4. You're not accountable

Write your goals down, tell your friends, do whatever you need to do to keep these top of mind throughout the year. Surround yourself with people who will help you on your journey, and will support you emotionally if plans go awry. Because set backs will happen, you just have to not let them derail your goal entirely. Plus, they'll be there to celebrate with you when you hit each milestone!

5. You don't set a game plan

Creating a timeline of how you'll reach your goals will make a massive difference to whether or not you'll achieve them. Put clear plans and regimens in place of when you'll start your goal, and, where relevant, timelines for starting and completing any sub-goals too. Setting milestones will also help continue to motivate you as you journey along to achieving your final goal. Just remember to pace yourself as burn out is all too real! 

So, are you ready to smash goals in 2018? Heck yes! 

Feature image: PopSugar