Three steps to a successful New Year's resolution

It’s the time of the year where everyone is creating New Year’s resolutions, but the hard part is keeping those resolutions.

Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness for Recreational Sports Trent Tangen has three tips to help you set up goals and resolutions that you will be more likely to keep. First, he says it is important to make sure the resolution is your own. Second, break the big picture resolution down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Third, use your resources to help you succeed.

“Usually when somebody makes a resolution or a goal one problem I commonly find is it’s not really their resolution. It’s something they see a movie star or actor or somebody else do. We’re all different and have different needs,” said Tangen.

Tangen says it is important to focus on your core values. You should determine what your personal needs are and make sure you are happy with your resolution.

When it comes to breaking the big picture down he recommends simple things like coming up with a schedule. If your goal is to do better in class you could join a study group that meets at a certain time or create a study plan. This creates a manageable way to reach your goals.

He also suggests students take advantage of the resources they have on campus. Lean on classmates, faculty, friends, or fitness instructors at TRAC for support.

Tangen says he usually finds people breaking their New Year’s resolutions 2-3 weeks into the year. He encourages people not to quit, but to re-evaluate their goals using these steps.