How do you react when New Year’s comes around? Do you see it as just another passing year, or do you see it as a fresh start? I hope you see it as a chance to set some goals and improve yourself in whatever way you see fit. Whether you look forward to New Year’s or would rather not be reminded that you’re another year older, you’ll benefit from my next series about New Year’s resolutions and how to not only make them but also how to make them last.

New Year’s Series: Making Doable Resolutions

In my first blog post, I’ll write about what types of resolutions you should make that will be doable. Basically, New Year’s resolutions are goals, so I’ll let you know how to best treat your resolutions when you first make them. For instance, I’ll advise against making resolutions that are too general or too specific, too big or too small, and too ambitious or not ambitious enough to complete within a year

New Year’s Series: Making Resolutions with Substance

When you think of New Year’s resolutions, you might automatically be drawn to some of the most popular types: lose weight, quit smoking, get out of debt, and exercise more. These resolutions all have great benefits to them, especially if you conquer them. However, seeing as this is a site for PhD students, I want to focus on the resolutions that will improve your work and study habits for school.

New Year’s Series: Making Resolutions Stick

As you may know, many people’s resolutions don’t make it past Valentine’s Day. In this blog post, I’ll write about how you can avoid the normal decline of New Year’s resolutions. Some of my tips will include chunking large goals into smaller pieces, recording your progress, and rewarding yourself as you complete certain goals.

As a side note, this series will end well into January, and I understand that many of you might not read it until you’re even further into 2014. Don’t let a late start discourage you from making your resolutions and implementing them throughout the year.