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The idea of a New Year’s resolution is appealing to many. Some people take their resolutions seriously, while others like the idea but often do not gain significant traction. As we approach the beginning of a new decade, many people will create lofty aspirations for the year or decade ahead. Although I have never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions, I can see the potential and hope that exists within each one. Despite the good intentions, about 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail (Psychology Today, 2018). However, with the proper mindset and purposeful planning, you can achieve the lifestyle changes that you are setting out to make. 

Here are a few things you can do to make your resolutions be successful: 

  1. Engage in a period of reflection: Setting a resolution is a great opportunity to engage in self-reflection. Before settling on what exactly you want to improve, reflecting upon how this potential change can better your life can have additional benefits or revelations than the one resolution. You might identify easier objectives or learn new things about yourself in the process.
  2. Carefully defined and planned out goals: If you owned a company, you would not allow your employees to set objectives without establishing a plan because goals without a plan are grossly ineffective. The same is true when setting your own objectives. Take the time to plan out what you will achieve. For example, if your resolution is to read more, set aside 15 minutes each night before bed to read a book that interests you.
  3. Keep yourself accountable: Whether you track your goal in a spreadsheet or a journal, or if you tell a family member or friend about your resolution, find some way to keep yourself accountable. This will improve your chances of engaging in the new habit that will bring you closer to your goal. 

Here are a few things to avoid doing when setting a New Year’s resolution: 

  1. Do not only focus on the outcome. New Year’s resolutions are often outcome focused. Little thought is put into the process or the reason why someone desires a change, and so without the process, the whole resolution is likely to fall apart within weeks or days. 
  2. Do not give up when things get hard. Many resolutions fail within the first few weeks of January. Although this is expected because creating new habits is hard, the tragic part is that people wait until next Jan. 1st to try again. New Year’s Day is a motivating time to get started, but shouldn’t be the only motivation. The number one problem with a New Year’s resolution is that it has an implicit message that you need to wait for something external to get you motivated (i.e. waiting for January 1st) and that without this motivation, you will not succeed. It’s important to change your mindset to focus on slow and steady progress and not being afraid to reset when you hit your first obstacle. Don’t be ashamed or guilty of hitting an obstacle, but instead, take pride in making an effort to try again.
  3. Don’t set unrealistic expectations. In setting any new goal or objective, it’s important to keep things realistic. For example, if you were not going to the gym at all in December, do not expect that you will go every day in January. Build the habit of going to the gym slowly and focus on slow and steady progress. The same is true of most any resolution: healthy eating, tidiness, reading more, watching less tv, etc. Instill your new habit slowly and track your results all the while maintaining a realistic and compassionate perspective towards yourself.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolution, I wish you best of luck, health, and happiness for the year ahead!

Here are a few resources to help you to be successful: 

Social media: 

  • Follow James Clear (@JamesClear) on Twitter for advice on habit formation and maintaining positive change in life
  • Follow Milesfit on Facebook for setting habits regarding health, exercise, and nutrition

 

 

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Published by healthylearningmtl

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