New Year's resolutions

and how to keep them

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

Happy New Year!

Today I’m letting you see inside my “Confident English for Professional Women” newsletter, which I send out every Thursday.

I realise a few of you may have already seen this but here it is again today with audio!

When you click play, you’ll be taken to the Substack website or app.

Here’s what I wrote yesterday:

Do you ever make New Year’s resolutions? (This means a decision or a promise to yourself to do something good this year, or stop doing something bad, such as “I’m going to do more exercise” or “I’m going to stop going to bed late.”)

New Year’s resolutions are difficult to keep. How many people decide to start going to the gym in January? And how many stop going before January is even over?!

I’m really bad at keeping my resolutions too. Last year, I was going to start learning German again. I think I managed about three weeks of Duolingo and then stopped! Do you have the same problem?

I’ve been thinking about how to make resolutions for language learning and how to actually keep them. This includes some of the things I know I did wrong last year!

(My tips are also true for any goals you make at any time of year!)

1. Consistency is really important

I know that if I do something every day, it’s easier to keep doing it. But if I stop for a couple of days, it’s harder to get back into the habit.

2. Set realistic goals

If I say I’m going to study German for two hours every day, I know I’m going to fail. But ten minutes a day is much more achievable. Be realistic about what you can achieve or find time for.

3. Time of day

I tried to learn German in the evening, straight after finishing work. This didn’t work. Partly, I was too tired. And also, I can always find more work to do so I wasn’t leaving enough time for German. I haven’t actually figured this one out yet! I’ll let you know if I do!

4. Make it enjoyable

Another reason I stopped is because I found Duolingo boring and repetitive. (There are other reasons why you shouldn’t rely 100% on Duolingo but perhaps that’s a topic for another day.) This year, I’m going to try reading a book instead because I love reading. I might also see if I can find a Facebook group where I can practise.

5. Accountability

I know that if I had a teacher, joined a class or found a study buddy, I would be better at keeping going with my German. If you’re in the same situation as me and you’re learning alone, try telling somebody you trust about your plans. You can even try writing your plan down. Other tips are to tick a box each day after you’ve achieved your daily target, or reward yourself with a cup of tea or piece of chocolate, for example.

6. Be kind to yourself

When I fail at keeping my resolutions, even before January is over, I get upset with myself and I even feel like giving up because it’s too hard. This isn’t very healthy! So if you make a plan and then don’t do what you set out to do, it’s OK. We’re all human. If you miss a day, it’s not the end of the world. Just try again tomorrow.

7. Not just January

Another mistake I’ve made is I’ve let another year go by without having another go at German. (To be fair, I’ve been pretty busy with other things. If you read my last email, you’ll know that 2024 was a big year for me in my business. I did quite well with my business goals if not with my learning goals!) Remember that setting yourself a goal doesn’t have to be something which only happens in January. Don’t be like me waiting a whole year! Time just goes too fast!

So if learning English is one of your goals, I hope some of my tips help you.

Here are a few more ways I can help you achieve your goals:

1. Join my free Facebook group and practise your English. Remember what I said above about accountability.

2. Join my new Facebook group for women, which I plan to open really soon. Keep checking your emails for more information.

3. And if you’re really serious about your English and know it’s time to get some professional help, send me an email and let’s chat.

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If you’re a professional woman and you’d like to get these emails every Thursday, in addition to these Substack posts, you can sign up here.

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I might try to add audio to more emails in the future if you’d like me to, so please do let me know if this is helpful.

You can find more posts with audio here.

I’m not very good at recording yet but I’m sure I can better at it with practice, just like you can get better at English with practice!

See you next week!

Katie