Around 40% of us start the new year vowing to change something significant about our lifestyle.
But fast forward to the 6 month mark and 60% will have completely forgotten all about their resolutions.
However, whether your resolutions focus on weight loss, finances, career, health or something else, sticking to those New Year's resolutions can be done. Read on to find out how...
Follow these 5 simple tricks to finally stick to your resolutions this year:
1. Define Your Motivation
There are 2 types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinisc.
Intrinsic motivation comes from inside.
For example, you prefer jogging, going to the gym by yourself or eating a healthy home-cooked meal because you like how you feel afterwards.
Extrinsic motivation means you feel pushed forward by actions outside yourself.
For example, you prefer working out with your friends so you can socialise, you would rather cook for others, and you usually work harder when there’s a reward system in place.
Once you figure out your usual type of motivation is, then all you have to do is put yourself in situations that make you more excited to accomplish even more.
2. Actions Speak Louder than Results
Deciding on a goal for the New Year is easy, the tricky part comes when you need to define the steps you'll take to reach that goal.
If you want to stick to your resolutions, it’s wise to break each step down into smaller goals, if possible, to make them more manageable.
Moreover, each time you achieve one, reward yourself and feel proud of what you’ve accomplished.
Positive reinforcement is crucial to help guide you as you push forwards towards your goal.
One way to keep everything in check is to make sure your actions are SMART:
- Specific. Having a specific end result prevents you from making excuses.
- Measurable. Evaluating your progress will give your motivation a boost.
- Achievable. You can set daily goals as a building block to bigger goals.
- Relevant. Otherwise, if it’s not relevant, why bother?
- Time-bound. Goals need to have a defined end date.
3. Be Honest with Yourself
The more realistic your resolutions are, the more likely you’ll be to see them through.
If your goal for the New Year is to exercise more, then start small. Instead of planning a 5-day workout week, go for 20 minutes a day then increase gradually.
You’ll find that, as with all goals, as soon as you start seeing what you’ve accomplished, you’ll be motivated to do even more.
However, it’s crucial that you stay away from the “all-or-nothing” approach.
Doing something, even if it’s a small piece of what you’d originally planned, is much better and more productive than doing nothing at all.
At the same time, try not have too many resolutions up in the air at once. Make a list, prioritize them, and go from there.
Once you feel the first one’s in the bag, go for the second, and so on. Focusing on one goal at a time will channel your energy and efforts there, helping you reach your target faster.
4. Think Things Through
Having a positive mindset is key when progressing towards your goals, but it's best to be prepared for obstacles that might come up too.
Be smart and anticipate these obstacles so that when they do appear, you’ll be prepared.
For example, if you get bored when you exercise, choose upbeat workout music to motivate you, or buddy up with a friend who will motivate you on days you just don't want to do.
Or you can workout at home, as you catch up on your favorite TV shows.
Have some easy to make meals in hand for days you are tempted to reach for a takeaway.
Find ways to nip potential obstacles in the bud before they become stronger than your willpower so that nothing comes between you and your goal.
5. Be Accountable for Your Actions
Accountability means taking responsibility for the choices you make.
This may seem easy to do at work when you have a deadline and a boss reinforcing it.
It may not seem quite as easy when you’re home alone and want to skip out on cooking a healthy meal to order take-out instead.
Make yourself accountable by making a certain commitment to someone.
For the healthy eating or cooking from scratch goals, you could enlist the help of a friend, join an online support group, upload a photo of your home-cooked meal on social media, or just hang a calendar on your wall with progress notes so you can keep tabs on how far you’ve come and what still lies ahead.
Sticking to your New Year’s resolutions can seem scary at first, but with these 5 steps, you can do anything you put your mind to.
Moreover, once you accomplish your first resolution, you’ll find that it’s not only beneficial, it’s fun as well!
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