How to Switch Your New Year's Resolution to a New Solution

Goodwill has some great advice for people who are already thinking of ditching — or who may have already ditched — their New Year’s resolutions. Consider ditching and switching to something better!

Goodwill suggests using Jan. 17, known now as Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day, as a time to switch your goals to something more achievable and agreeable that also helps others in your community. One solution? Decide that now is the right time to get organized, collect those things around the house you no longer want or need, and donate them to someone who can use them.

New Year’s resolutions are tough to stick with, and that’s because we often set the bar too high. With a little change in mindset and a focus on what’s really important, you can turn that broken resolution into a successful solution.

Goodwill has a three-step process for successful switching:

1. Focus on the outcome. In other words, focus on how great it will feel to have some extra space in your closet, rather than on having to sort through a big pile of clothes. Think of how you'll feel knowing that your gently-used items are funding job opportunities and training programs for people right in your community.

2. Take little steps to get to the big goal. Remember that the easiest way to reach a big goal is by breaking it down into smaller steps. Don't forget to congratulate yourself with each step you take along the way.

3. Decide what's important to you. Maybe you’re someone who likes to recycle because you’re concerned about the environment. At Goodwill West Texas, we look at every donation we receive and determine if it's sellable or salvageable. That means that you can feel good knowing every item you donate stays out of landfills.

Still stuck? Goodwill is a great resource if you want to find options for volunteering or mentoring or simply helping others in your community. Visit goodwillwesttexas.org/donate to learn more about how your donations changes lives in West Texas.