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Each year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions in order to make some sort of change in their lives. The top two resolutions people make according to Statista are exercising more and eating healthier. However, some other common resolutions are to lose weight, save money, spend more time with family, and spend less time on social media. We will review why you may not want to start a resolution and how to have success if you elect to do so.
Why You May Not Want To Make A New Year’s Resolution
Most New Year’s Resolutions require a lot of time and energy to achieve a successful outcome. If the idea of starting the year with a seemingly daunting unachievable task causes you anxiety or stress, you may want to forego it altogether. Studies show that 46 percent of resolvers report success at sticking to their resolution six months after the new year has begun. We often tend to set an unrealistically high goal and attempt to achieve our goal all at once. Don’t give in to social pressures and create a New Year’s Resolution because it is the thing to do. There are better ways to change behavior.
Better Ways To Make Your Resolution Stick:
1. Be Specific With Your Goals
Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and based on a time frame. According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, you are more likely to reach a goal if you define it in specific terms.
Therefore, be determined to run 3 times a week rather than be a “runner,” for example. The goal should be something that you can realistically achieve. Start by aiming to finish a run for fun or a 5k rather than training for a marathon. Put the event on the calendar and make sure you get there. Once you do you can then up the goal if you wish.
2. Pick The Right Time For Change
If you are indeed going to make a change, there is no magic associated with January 1 that makes it an easier time to do so. In fact, in some ways starting a New Year’s Resolution may be more difficult in January. For example, if you live in a cold climate and want to exercise more, this may be an easier goal to begin in the spring. Start your resolution at whatever time gives you the best opportunity for success, rather than when others start theirs.
3. Make Sure That You Have Support
Gather a group of people together who will root for you and help hold you accountable. If your goal is to eat healthier, consider taking a friend grocery shopping. This would also be a good time to make healthy meals for friends. If your goal is to workout more, find a workout partner. Make it an enjoyable experience and you will likely keep it up longer.
4. Experiment
It is a plus to be specific with your goals and be cognizant of the steps that you need to take to achieve them. However, you may not know exactly how to achieve your goal with one-hundred percent certainty. Some people unplug the television for a week in order to be more productive. Others delete food delivery apps so that they eat healthier and save money. Experimenting can help you learn as you go. It also affords you the opportunity to shift in another direction if something isn’t working and stay on track.
5. Keep On Track With Proper Tools And Reminders
If you aren’t properly tracking your results, the odds are against you achieving your goal. Start by writing down your desired goal very specifically. Determine the steps required to achieve your goal and schedule times to check in on your progress. This can be done by setting automated reminders or creating a to-do list regularly. In addition, make sure you have the right tools. If being healthier is your goal, be organized at the grocery store. Purchase the foods that will help you get to the finish line and try not to go to the store when hungry. Consider supplementing your diet with important minerals. The Organa collection is great source for supplementing.
6. Accept Things You Cannot Control
Worrying about what you cannot change can increase your chances of giving up and give you anxiety. Don’t be too rigid with your goals. If you are stuck at work and can’t reach your goal that day, do your best. Reset and start the next day with a positive attitude. Things come up, knowing that at the beginning and being ok with it is an important part of the process.
7. Keep Trying Even If You Have A Setback
Life is full of setbacks. Behavior change isn’t easy and it takes time to achieve most goals. If you are having setbacks, keep trying the steps discussed above. After all, achieving something 75% of the time is better than not achieving it at all.
