In the first day of the year, our social media feeds get flooded with resolutions, changes and goals that our friends and family set for the upcoming 12 months.

And that’s ok. But what happens most of the time is that new year resolutions we make in those first days of the year fall through by the end of January.

Not this time around, 2020 is the year for change.

Now that January is almost over is the perfect time to think and write, or re-write, the changes you want to make in your life and the realistic goals you want to achieve.

Well probably you won’t be able to achieve them all in 2020, but every step towards the final goal is a victory.

So, with that in mind, we gather a few tips to help you sit down, think carefully and set realistic and specific goals for the year ahead of us.

1. Write specific goals

The number one advice we can give you is to re-write your goals if they are not specific enough. It’s almost impossible to see that you’re making progress if your goal can’t be measured.

If you say “I would like to start using less plastic in 2020” how will you measure it? On the other hand, if you say “I would like to avoid any single-use of PET plastic bottles in 2020” is much easier to measure and that will keep you motivated.

2. Replace a bad habit for a better on

Trying to end a bad habit from day to night is almost impossible. Our mind won’t let it happen.

So if you are trying to spend less time scrolling your social media, why not replace that time with reading a book?

3. Reduce the noise that is preventing you from achieving your goal

Try to reduce all the problems and hassles that are preventing you from achieving what you want.

For example, if your goal is to do more exercise, go straight to the gym when you leave work. If you go home first, it will be much harder to leave your house again.

If eating healthy is another one of your goals, try to prepare your lunch the night before and make sure you have some healthy snacks at work.

The important thing is that you find ways to make your life easier and end all the noise that’s preventing you from being successful.

4. Get an accountability partner

Explain to a friend or family member what you are trying to achieve throughout this year, so they can help you with it.

Choose someone that can hold you accountable while is encouraging and keeps you motivated.

5. Don't be afraid to change things up

If throughout the year you feel the need to change things a little bit, just do it.

If your goal is to start jogging, but sometimes you can’t do it, try going to the gym and do a group class instead.

If your goal is to read more books this year, but you are getting tired of it or finding excuses not to read, try changing the kind of books you are reading. I’ll bet you will feel much more motivated to continue.

Don’t get me wrong it is challenging to keep up our goals and resolutions the entire year. But, remember, don’t be too hard on yourself. What matters is that you are trying and every small step counts.