Now that we are about half way through the first month of the new year, how are your resolutions coming along? Are you making steady progress toward your goal/s, or have you fallen off the wagon? Do you feel confident in your goal/s and plan of action, discouraged by an action plan that failed, or completely clueless on how to achieve the goal/s all together? Do you want to figure out how to get back on track to bettering yourself for the new year?
New Year’s resolutions can be pretty tricky. Maybe your plan this year is to lose weight, spend less time on technology, learn a new skill or take on a new hobby, quit drinking/ smoking/ other unhealthy lifestyle habits; do these sound familiar?
According to a study done by Dr. Richard Wiseman, only around 12% of people who make New Year’s resolutions felt that they were successful in achieving their goals. More often than not, our resolutions fail because we set them up on December 31st and then lose clarity, inspiration, and/ or determination after a few days of going “all in”, and that creates a fallback to the point of no return… So we give up, and try again next year.
So are New Year’s resolutions a waste of time and pointless to try? Absolutely not! You’re actually 10 times more likely to make a change in your behavior if you set a goal than those who don’t one study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology says. Making the goal is the first step of achieving one!
With the odds stacked against you, how can you ensure that your dedication sticks around past the end of January? Create new daily/ weekly/ monthly habits. Yes this takes time and energy to be consistent, and nothing changes overnight. However, you may see more short-term changes and benefits faster than you think. Repetition is important as well in making and keeping habits. The average length of forming a habit is 66 days, but depending on what you are trying to accomplish, it could take more time or less time according to Healthline. With that in mind, here are some tips and habits that you can implement now to get yourself back on track to bettering yourself:
- Make and focus on only one resolution– A lot of people make the mistake of trying to achieve too much at one time. It doesn’t work like that. Instead try to focus on one aspect/ part of your life that you want to change or add. The chance of success is higher when people focus their energy into changing just one aspect of their behavior.
- Dream big– Since you are focusing on one goal, you may as well make that goal something spectacular and interesting! Want to run a marathon? Want to lose just enough weight to fit into clothes you once loved? Want to learn how to crochet a blanket? With persistence and support, you can do it. Many will cheer you on, and some will be happy to help in practical ways to keep you on target.
- Think and plan ahead– Don’t wait until New Year’s to think about your resolution. Rather than waiting until the last minute, set some time aside a few weeks before and a few days before to reflect on what is truly in your heart. Last minute decisions tend to be based on what is on your mind in that current moment, and may have a short lifespan.
- Move on and learn from the past– Deciding to re-visit last year’s resolution sets you up for frustration and disappointment. You have two options to make this year work: choose something completely new, or approach an old problem in a new way, shape and form (ex: instead of “trying to lose 50 lbs”, try “exercising more”).
- Go public with your resolution– Many people keep their New Year’s Resolution to themselves for fear of embarrassment and failure. Unfortunately, this also makes it super easy to forget about it. Instead, go public by writing down your resolution, signing it, and placing it somewhere prominent in your house. Telling your family and friends about your resolution is another great way to keep accountability, ask them to give you nudges and reminders when you’re off track to help you in achieving your goal. If you are limited in supportive people you personally know, joining a support group of people who share a similar/ same goal as you is a fantastic way to keep yourself inspired and accountable.
- Be specific with S.M.A.R.T. goals– Think through exactly what you are going to do through goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based (SMART). Vague plans will fail, guaranteed. So instead of saying that you will run a marathon and start running everyday to prepare, focus on creating bite-sized, measurable goals for each week to avoid burnout and lack of organization. Tell yourself that you will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm, increasing the length of time you run every two weeks, and adding an extra day to run each week every month. Stick to the plan to the best of your ability (if it rains on Thursday, have Saturday as a backup day to make up for the loss).
- Be persistent– New habits take time to learn and to become embedded in our lives. Once in a while you will revert to old habits, we’re human. People on diets might suddenly give in and eat that slice of chocolate cake with chocolate milk, or those trying to exercise more might not find the time to go to the gym for a week due to a crazy work schedule. When you take on your resolution this year and hit a snag, don’t feel discouraged, and don’t give up. Always remember that every attempt is a lesson learned, so take a moment to reflect on what did and didn’t work, and adapt what you need to make the changes you want to see in the long-term.
- Celebrate all breakthroughs, no matter the size– Don’t wait until you’ve powered through the last mile or lost every single pound to call yourself a winner or your goal successful. Health changes are often incremental, they take time. Motivate yourself by taking a few moments each week to recognize and celebrate success as you make small and big steps toward any goal. Play your favorite song each time you write 500 words towards the book you’re writing. If your goal is a 30 minute workout, but one day you can only make it 10 minutes, feel pleased with that.
- Go for it– On day one, go for it 100%. Write down on a card what you want to see happen through your resolution, and keep that commitment. All you need is one short phrase you can carry in your wallet, in your car, by your bed, on your bathroom mirror, as your phone’s lock/home screens, and/ or as your computer background; somewhere you will see it everyday for a daily hit of motivation and positivity. If you want to be a little extra, you can go a step further and create a goal poster: take a piece of colored paper to write your phrase on and include pictures that are related to your goal to go with it. Your commitment phrase can say something like:
- I enjoy a happy, sober life.
- I stay calm and in control, even under times of stress.
- I am committed to learning how to crochet a blanket.
- I meditate and pray daily.
Do you have any other tricks or habits that have helped you maintain and complete a New Year’s resolution? Leave them in the comments below to inspire others to achieve their resolutions this year!
DANIELLE JEAN BELVOIX 