Seven Tips to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
According to a Forbes Health/One Poll survey, the average New Year’s resolution lasts 3.74 months. Only 8% of respondents tend to stick with their goals for one month, while 22% last two months, 22% previous three months, and 13% last four months!
Here are seven tips to help you make and stick to your New Year’s resolutions.
1. Focus on one or two resolutions. When making New Year’s resolutions, many tend to focus on several things – losing weight, exercising, eating healthier, volunteering, and so on. Rather than setting several goals, focus on one or maybe two things you’d like to change and go all in. By setting yourself up to achieve specific goals, you are more likely to maintain your momentum and ultimately succeed.
2. Plan! When making your resolutions, plan how you want to accomplish them and define how long it might take to reach your goal. Proper planning will help ensure you can see it through to the end.
3. Set specific goals. Many of us set New Year’s resolutions like “exercise more” or “eat healthier.” But what does that mean? By adding specific details to your goals, such as “exercise 30 minutes daily” or “eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day,” you give yourself a measurable goal to reach each day. This will not only help you stay on track but also allow you to feel more accomplished.
4. Start small. Avoid setting an overly high expectation of yourself and opt for small but realistic goals. For example, if you’d like to lose weight, aim to lose 10 pounds in two months. Then, once you reach that goal, you can think about losing another 5-8 pounds. Setting small goals can help you achieve significant results!
5. Choose a new resolution. Rather than recycling a previous goal you’ve tried in the past but failed, opt for something different where you can set up a better path to success. Also, consider modifying a previous goal if it’s something you still want to accomplish.
6. Support yourself with accountability partners. We function better with the community around us, motivating and reminding us why we chose that New Year’s resolution in the first place. Whether it’s a friend to keep your exercise resolution on track or a spouse to help with healthier eating habits, leaning on others can help you stay accountable.
7. Give your resolution time to become a habit. A 2009 study found that it takes 66 days to form a new habit on average. So be patient with yourself! If you have minor setbacks or don’t hit your goal one week, give yourself grace and recommit the following week. By consistently working towards your goal, eventually, you will develop better habits and achieve your goal.