How to Use a Journal for Your New Years’ Resolutions

New Years’ Resolutions might seem a little silly, but they really are a great way to 
narrow down your focus to one or two main goals. They are not meant to be something 
miraculous and life changing (though they can be), but to take advantage of the new 
year with a fresh start. Maybe you want to lose weight this year, give up soda, start 
doing yoga, or stop a bad habit like biting your nails. The options are endless.

When it comes to creating your New Years’ Resolutions, using a journal is one of the 
best tools at your disposal. It not only helps you decide on the resolutions, but track 
your progress along the way.


What You Want to Accomplish This Year

Start by writing down everything you would like to accomplish this year. This might end 
up being a long list, which is totally fine. You are just starting with any idea you have in 
your head before you make your final decisions. Think of big things and small things, 
even if you don’t know that they will end up being a resolution. Consider your bad 
habits, something you want to implement, a goal you want to achieve, healthier lifestyle 
habits, a change in your routine, a place you want to visit, or a problem you want to 
solve.


What You Feel Like You Lacked in the Previous Year

To add to your list of possibilities, write down anything you feel like you lacked or fell 
behind in the previous year. This can help you figure out where you want your focus to 
be, such as if you struggled with your finances this past year, you might want to look for 
a new job opportunity or work on your business more. 


Flesh Out Your Ideas

Go through and highlight or make a check next to anything that really speaks to you or 
you believe would make a positive impact in your life. Consider something you can do 
for the entire year, and doing that will help to make you happy or healthier, or just 
change your life in a positive way. 


Choose 1-2 Resolutions

From this list, choose just 1-2 resolutions for the year. That doesn’t mean you won’t 
accomplish anything else, but you want just one or two main things to focus on. You 
might have some things that are good to do, but can be done in a shorter period of time, 
like starting to journal. Instead of that as a resolution, maybe you want to read 20 books 
in a year or lose 30 pounds. These are more concrete resolutions that you can track 
throughout the year.


Track the Progress Throughout the Year

Once you have your resolutions chosen, you can then use your journal to track your 
progress. Have one journal you use only for your resolutions, so it doesn’t get mixed up 
in your other journal entries.




