There are three reasons why writing your goals down helps you achieve them.
- It works as a visual cue and daily reminder.
- You remember things better when you write them down.
- It helps you make a step-by-step plan.
Write effective New Year’s resolutions by:
Having goals is important because they give you something to be hopeful for and work towards. The beginning of the year is a great time to work on goals because it’s considered a “fresh start” in which you can start incorporating good habits.
Goals (and resolutions) range in size and difficulty. But there’s one thing they have in common: If you write them down, you’re more likely to achieve them.
Below, we’ll explain why this is so and teach you how to write your New Year’s resolutions.
Why Writing Your Goals is Beneficial
1. It serves as a visual cue and daily reminder.
Having your goals written down gives you something you can easily refer to and access whenever you want or need to.
The daily hustle and bustle of life makes it easy to get distracted from our goals. Sometimes, things get so busy, we completely forget them. A paper with your goals written on them, whether tucked away in your wallet or purse or taped up on your refrigerator, works as a visual cue to get started or keep working on pursuing your goals. A goal that lives solely in your mind is at risk of being forgotten.
2. It “encodes” the goal into your brain.
The “generation effect” explains that information is better memorized if generated in one’s own mind, compared to information that is only read. If you use this phenomenon to your advantage and write down your goals, you’re guaranteeing that your brain is analyzing, processing, and inputting your goals.
3. It helps you plan your goal step-by-step.
Sometimes, pursuing your goal can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What should you do? How can you work around your daily schedule? Writing your goals down is effective because it allows you to break your major goal into smaller, easier-to-reach steps.
For example, a goal of writing a novel might seem daunting. But if you break that goal down to writing one page a day, you might be less afraid to start.
Here’s a Tip
If writing a novel (or anything else) is one of your goals, LanguageTool can ensure your text is exquisite with its editor that corrects your spelling and grammar mistakes, and offers improvements on style and formatting.
How To Write New Year’s Resolutions
Now that we’ve covered why you should write down your goals, let’s go over how to write them.
Write Complete Sentences in the Future Tense
As we previously mentioned, writing things down helps you remember them. Therefore, it’s best to write complete sentences in the future tense.
Get fit.
In 2023, I will reach my fitness goals.
Keep the Resolutions Realistic and Specific
Don’t set goals that are impossible to reach. Also, setting specific goals help you come up with a plan to achieve them.
I will start by going to the gym twice a week and then work my way up until I am able to go four times a week.
Set Markers and Deadlines
Markers and deadlines work as reminders and motivators that help you stay on track.
I can do 10 push-ups, but by March I want to be able to do 30.
Place the Resolutions Somewhere You Can See Them Every Day
This is one of the most crucial steps in writing resolutions you can actually keep. As we already stated, it’s easy to get distracted from your goals. That’s why it’s a good idea to write them down and place them in a location where you can see them every day. You can:
- Use a dry-erase marker and write them down on your bathroom mirror
- Write them on a sticky note and place it on your fridge
- Set them as the background on your phone
Goal Get ‘Em
Now you know: If you want to boost the likelihood of you reaching your goals, write them down! It’s an easy thing that’ll serve as a visual cue, help encode the goal into your brain, and help you break the major goal down into minor ones.
