10 Ways To Reignite the Spark For Your New Years Goals

10 Ways To Stay Excited About Your New Years Goals

We’re halfway through January…

…and if you’re like me (and probably most people), you’re starting to feel a little bit less than 1000% excited about whatever goal you set for your new year. 

Not that you don’t want it. It’s just that the energy that you had motivating you to get that thing accomplished is a bit less than it was before. And if it’s a daily goal, you’re starting to think,” I have a 15-day perfect record thus far, and I’m kind of bored of this. One day off doesn’t matter that much.” 

Except it DOES matter! One day leads to two days, which leads to the goal fizzling away into nothing. I know you’ve been there. I’ve been there so many times. 

I had this experience with my simple little January wellness goal over the past few days. I know, I know…it’s such an easy, fun goal! But if I don’t do it in the mornings, I rarely want to make time for it at night. And some mornings just get away from me, and the days is over and I think, “ok, do I really want to do this little 20 minute ritual today?”

And this is for a very fun/relaxing goal, and I know how much more difficult it can be to stick with a daily goal or overall life routine that isn’t quite as much fun. But if if you made it your goal, you made it your goal for a reason, right?! You’re really excited about the end result from this goal! 

10 Ways To Reignite the Spark For Your New Years Goals

I’m diving into a few tried-and-true ways to stay true to your goals. I’m a self-proclaimed goal lover (sometimes to a fault and I have to back off and relax a bit…haha, see August’s goal in this post) and I use a lot of these little tips when I feel like I’m about to fall off the goal bandwagon. Or sometimes I use them when I’ve already fallen off and I need to get back on. 

1 // Ask yourself if this really is a goal you want. 

Look at the big picture of your life. Is this a goal that improves your quality of life, or is it simply a vanity goal? Do you truly want the result you’ll get from this goal (more energy, deeper friendships, a better relationship with money, a calmer environment), or is the goal just something you think you should do because a bunch of other people are doing it? 

I had to ask myself that a few years ago when my husband was doing a few months of Keto. I committed to doing it for a month to support him (and I figured I would give it a shot! A bunch of people swear by it and say it gives them so much energy, so I thought it could be an interesting experiment.) 

But a week into it and I was MISERABLE. It didn’t align with my lifestyle at all. I didn’t have a desire to lose weight. And I already had a really healthy relationship with food, and intuitive eating pattern, and I just reallyreallyreally didn’t want to be on a Keto lifestyle. I was doing it to support Nate’s goals, but that wasn’t a big enough “why” for me to stick with it for the month. So I decided this goal wasn’t right for me. 

But my monthly goal that I’m doing right now? In January I’m using my red light therapy every day. I’m already seeing a change in my complexion, and I know that the long term result (better skin in my 30s) is what I want. Besides…using it is wonderful! I just have to carve out the time. So I can wholeheartedly say that I really want to continue on this goal. 

2 // Play the tape forward. 

Look at what happens if you skip your goal. Play through the first day of skipping it, and then what happens the next day, and the next. 

Sometimes just letting your mind really see the end result is all you need to get back on track today.

3 // Find an accountability partner (if you don’t already have one!)

Research proves again and again that going at a goal alone is the worst way to do it! Do you have an accountability partner? It doesn’t have to be a BFF…although it can be! Someone you don’t know so well (an instagram friend, perhaps? Or an e-mail buddy? Or a fellow member at your barre studio who you can text with updates?) sometimes works better. Since you don’t know one another as well, you’re a bit less likely to come up with excuses. 



You are a beautiful, wonderful human being. If your New Years goal has gotten a bit sloppy in the last few days, it’s ok…and it’s not a sign of what’s coming up for you. 

4 // Go back and visit any journal entries, vision boards, or podcasts that inspired you. 

Why did you set this goal in the first place? 

Go back to your January 1 journal entries. Look at the quote or image that got your excited in the first place. Was there a podcast you listened to that helped you map out your goal? Go listen to it again. 

You probably need some fresh inspiration! Re-visit the things that got you inspired in the first place, and then follow any recommendations from those things (links to other podcasts? References to books or articles?) and find some fresh content to keep you fired up. 

5 // Change the thoughts in your head. 

Go from “this is hard” to “this goal is easy and supports my life.” 

Yeah…sounds so simple, but changing the thoughts in our heads is kind of tricky. 

Here’s my method: I write out the thought I’m thinking (for instance, “I’m a busy mom of two and I simply don’t have the 20 minutes to do this daily goal”) and I change a small part of the thought. 

It goes like this: 

-> “I’m a busy mom of two and I simply don’t have the 20 minutes to do this daily goal.”

-> “I’m a busy mom of two and I want to have the 20 minutes to do this daily goal.”

-> “I’m a busy mom of two and I am carving out the 20 minutes to do this daily goal.”

-> “I’m a mom of two and it’s easy to find the 20 minutes to do this daily goal.”

…. Etc. Sometimes there are 7 or 8 different sentences I work through, and sometimes I can do it in 2 big leaps. Depends on how stuck my brain is on that old thought! 

Oh, by the way..my current thought on this January goal of mine? “I’m a mom of two and I always finish the goal I start, and I have time in every day for this goal.”

6 // Put it out on social media. 

Even if you already have a personal accountability partner, saying things publicly can sometimes get you excited about it. 

Just share a story about it! Write out what you’re working toward! Chances are, there’s someone else who’s on the same path. (It could be a potential accountability partner?)

Or if you want to go all out, create daily in feed posts celebrating your progress. 

A little bit goes a long way, so put something positive out into the universe through social media (“I’m halfway through the month of my goal to _____ and I’m struggling a bit to stay committed…but I KNOW I can finish the month strong!” People will cheer you on, and you’re sending out some positivity, too.

7 // Meditate. I adore meditation because I’ve found the power that it has in literally changing who I am. If I have a big goal I’m working on (business or personal!), I’ll do specific meditation tailored toward it. 

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this book to get started. Or just get on YouTube and search for “meditation for mindful eating” or “meditation for a healthy body” or “meditation for strength training.” I mean, whatever your goal is in life, you can probably find someone who has created meditations or affirmations that will help you get there. 

This. Stuff. Works. And if it’s new to you and feels too woo-woo and you just don’t like it, no pressure! But if you’re willing to give it a shot, I’ve found some pretty huge transformations in my life when I do daily meditation.

8 // Acknowledge and celebrate what you’ve already accomplished this month. 

You’re halfway through the month, and there’s no doubt that you’ve already overcome a few uncomfortable hurdles toward your goal. Appreciate that! 

If you’ve had a few mornings when the alarm went off and you didn’t want to wake up to do the strength training, but you did it anyway, celebrate!

If you almost caved and had a glass of wine in the evening but you didn’t because it was a Wednesday night and you said you’re saving booze for the weekends…congratulations!! 

You’re probably reading this because you started the month off super strong, and you’re starting to waver a bit. So go back and give yourself a round of applause for those super strong weeks you had at the start of the year. 

Get out your journal and literally write a list of how completely badass you are at doing what you say you’re going to do. Something like this: 

“On Day 6 I wanted to skip a day of yoga sooo badly and just go to bed, but I told myself I’d do at least 15 min of yoga every day in January. So I did a quick 15 min yoga video right before I went to bed. And DANG I’m proud of myself! I stuck with that goal and I actually slept really well that night. I know with 100% certainty that I’ll complete this goal in January.”

9 // If you’ve fallen off the bandwagon, look to the future. 

You are a beautiful, wonderful human being. If your New Years goal has gotten a bit sloppy in the last few days, it’s ok…and it’s not a sign of what’s coming up for you. 

Dust yourself off, tell yourself you are 100% going to do this, and look a month into the future when you’re further toward your goal. You’re doing it! 

Keep looking at that future version of yourself. She’s right there. 

You also have the option to look at the past version of yourself, the one who had a few days of falling away from the goal. Both versions are available, and you get to choose to look at the future version.

Again, I know, I know…I’m bringing in all the woo here. But only because I’ve experienced, first hand, how powerful this practice is in my own life! I literally do this every single day. I make mistakes, I say/do things that aren’t in alignment with who I want to be, and I choose to leave those in the past. 

I speak and act as if my future self is already here, and I can see her with so much clarity. 

10 // Buy something that excites you. 

Ok, sometimes you need a little bit of external motivation. Doing a workout goal? Get a cute new set to wear to your yoga class. Maybe you’re on a goal to get out there and date in January. Splurge on a hair appointment or get your nails done, or maybe buy a hot new pair of shoes. 

If you need a little extra umph, there’s nothing wrong with finding that by treating yourself to something fun. 

Full disclosure: I wanted something to make me feel re-excited about my wellness goal, so I bought my very favorite vitamin C serum to use in addition to my new red light therapy mask. I mean…all the splurges, but this is a thing that I really want, so it’s worth it to me. 

Hope these were helpful for you! Keep on chasing those things you were made to achieve. You’ve got this, friend. 

PS: the one little trick that has improved my time management, and the (real) reason I love to workout. 

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