Blue Monday 2018 has passed (the 15th of January, in case you missed it), which means that most people have already given up on their resolutions. Have you? At the On The Rocks headquarters we’re still going strong, luckily. Writing down your goals in a notebook (even better, in a Rockbook), helps to turn them into reality.

Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor has done research which showed that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals when you are writing them down instead of just thinking about them. Your brain opens up to all possible ways to achieve your goals, when you perform the simple act of writing the goals down and viewing them from a different perspective (as opposed to them just sitting around in your head).

Don’t wait any longer and grab that Rockbook. Start making your to do list to turn goals and resolutions into reality! Here’s three handy tips to get you going.

Map out your resolutions or goals in to do lists

This helps for three main reasons:

1. It takes away a little of life’s chaos
2. It gives structure & a plan to stick to
3. The list provides you with proof of what you’ve achieved so far. By ticking off boxes, you’ll stay motivated much longer than without such todo lists.

Read more about this theory in an article that was published on the Guardian.

Split up the goals or resolutions into smaller steps

Don’t just make simple to do lists where you ‘plan’ your goals. Make sure to split them up in smaller ‘easier to digest’ goals. Read this article on Entrepreneur for example. Splitting up the goals will also make them feel more within reach.

Celebrate every little succes!

I myself (Anne) am also a big fan of this approach. The road is the way, is what I like to say. Don’t forget that all the small successes make the bigger goals achievable and should thus be celebrated. You are getting sh*t done, rockstar! Rewarding yourself can also help you stay motivated. Because, after all, it’s a road that you need to travel before you’ll get to your bigger destination so to say. Why not incorporate the ways to celebrate succes in your todo list? It’s fun to think of all the ways you can reward yourself for achieving the milestones along the way.

What’s your favorite method to stick to your goals and turn them into reality?