One week in: How to keep your New Year's resolution going strong
When making any new change, three key things are required: a decision, a motivation, and dedication. But even when we have a genuine desire for change, it can be difficult to do the hard work involved in creating new habits.
As we creep up to the official D-day for New Year’s resolutions—January12—these five tips can help you keep things in perspective through any moments of weakness.
Be realistic and start small. The best person to assess your capabilities and limitations is you, so set goals that are actually attainable. If you work nights or have never been a morning person, a resolution to work-out at 6 a.m. daily is probably not a recipe for success. Consider hitting the gym two days a week instead of five or allowing yourself dessert once a week instead of nixing it all together. By starting small you can adjust to new changes slowly, making it easier to build the new habit without too much impact or restriction to your previous routine. Put some thought into your sleeping habits and peak energy and vulnerability times and adjust accordingly to encourage the greatest success.
Enlist support. Share your goals with friends and family or join a group (running group, cooking class, online community, etc.) for accountability and support. Research shows we’re more likely to stick to things when we’ve told people about them. Saying it out loud, or even writing it down, creates a hardwire that makes you feel more connected and accountable to what you’re doing. Creating some community around your goals also gives you a place to share struggles and successes, making your journey easier and less intimidating.
Make a plan. Whether you invest in a planner that tracks every hour of your day or you prefer a more relaxed approach, you absolutely need to identify how your new resolution will fit into your existing life and habits. Schedule gym time like you would an appointment or meeting; carve out time on the weekend for meal prep to minimize backslides during the week; pick a time for your nightly mediation that falls before your point of total exhaustion… you get the idea. Simply thinking about what you’d like to accomplish likely won’t be enough to make it happen. Put it on paper and make use of your smart phone to organize your calendar and set reminders.
Reward yourself. Payoffs come in all shapes and sizes. No one wants to feel like they’ve worked hard for nothing – it’s important to use rewards as a way to keep yourself motivated and on track. It could be as small as making a checkmark on your to-do list (extremely motivating for some!) or something bigger like a spa day after a month of success. Whatever you choose, it needs to make sense in terms of what matters most to you.
Be kind to yourself. Aim for progress, not perfection. Missteps are completely normal, so don’t beat yourself up if you fall off-track. Simply pick-up where you left off and keep moving forward. Measure your results over a period of time and don’t let the odd slip-up sabotage the entire goal.
Most of all, remember that consistency is key. It takes time to build a new habit but if you set attainable goals, make a plan, and reward yourself along the way, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.
Have a New Year’s resolution success or struggle? Please share it in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!