Forget ‘Resolutions’ — Focus Instead on Healthier Financial Mindset

As we start another new year, can we all agree to limit the mention of “resolutions”? The word certainly has a bad connotation: We start them, we stop them, we tell ourselves everything will be different once January starts. Not surprising, the top resolutions this year were once again “save money,” “eat healthier” and “exercise more,” yet only about 25% of people actually stay committed to those goals a month in.

Why are they so hard to keep? For starters, we’ve all just come off an indulgent holiday season, both physically and fiscally. We’re busy savoring the moment, enjoying time with friends and family, and not worried about what we’re eating or what we’re spending. Then, January comes, and these “resolutions” feel like a penalty. We clearly see the extra holiday weight (on both our waistlines and credit card bills), but the drastic change to a more disciplined approach is tough to make.

But the top reason resolutions are so hard to keep? We’re Americans: We want results, and we want them now.

Maybe that’s a good place to start.

Slow and steady wins the resolution race

Health and financial resolutions both involve setting specific goals and achievements, and both require regular, consistent effort and discipline. No way around it.

A 30-day crash diet or a newly approved weight loss drug may help you drop extra pounds quickly, but if you’re not making sustainable and fundamental changes to your diet and activity level, that weight is coming right back.

The same is true for financial fitness. The process takes time and a series of incremental steps that lead to new habits: create a budget, start contributing to an emergency fund, put money into a retirement account.

When it comes to getting fit and losing weight, we can often see results relatively quickly, often in a matter of weeks or months. Financial improvements, on the other hand, include putting money away, dealing with market ups and downs, waiting for the effects of compounding. While the timeline may differ for both physical and fiscal fitness, succeeding at both requires long-term discipline.

Motivation makes the difference

That long-term discipline is not something we’re good at. It’s why so many resolutions are abandoned long before Valentine’s Day. The key is to create new habits that lead to a more secure financial future by finding effective methods of motivation:

Track your progress

Training for a 5K in the new year? You’re probably using a running app to record your miles and time. Working to lose 15 pounds? Your scale is likely your first stop in the morning, and you’re recording what you eat in a food diary program. Bulking up your arms and chest? Maybe you’re taking mirror selfies every few weeks.

It’s the same for your financial goals: Take advantage of budgeting software, lean on your financial advisor, track your progress over time. Just remember that financial progress will take longer to notice, but you will eventually see the results of all that hard work and discipline. Your emergency fund will grow, your debts will decrease, and your net worth will begin to rise.

Play on your own emotions

Human beings have feelings, and sometimes we need a reward. Use this psychological truth to power your financial progress. Take credit cards as an example: Credit card debt is like eating a diet of only donuts and cheeseburgers while you chain-smoke cigarettes and drink hard liquor. I call it the saturated fat of any financial diet.

To tackle your credit card debt, you might think it makes the most sense to pay off the card with the highest interest rate first. Instead, take the Dave Ramsey approach and put your cards in order of smallest balance to highest, and attack the smallest balance first. Once you pay it off, move to the next one, and so on. By racking up a small win in a short amount of time, you gain a sense of accomplishment and pride that motivates you to tackle the next challenge.

Yes, financial health requires a long-term focus, but it’s often about finding ways to get some short-term gains and small rewards along the way.

Small changes now lead to big benefits later

When you decide to make a positive and consistent change to improve your health – cutting out sugar, for example – not only will you feel better overall, you’ll also find yourself no longer craving sugar. You’ll begin to lose those cravings for things that aren’t good for you.

It’s no different on the financial side of your life. By sticking to a budget, for example, you’ll start losing those cravings for excess spending, all while enjoying the feeling of having a little left over at the end of the month. Suddenly, your bills are paid, your emergency fund is growing, your net worth is increasing. Just like that, you’re a different person.

The best part? When you’re able to solidify these new positive habits, you might find you can get a little more creative with your New Year’s resolutions this time next year.