It’s the beginning of a new year, a time when many people reflect on the past year, consider changes they would like to make and set resolutions for the year ahead. According to behavioral economist Katy Milkman, we are excited to pursue new goals and feel a renewed sense of purpose that new beginnings can bring.
On new beginnings like New Year’s, birthdays and even Mondays, we are a lot more motivated to tackle goals because we feel like you can turn a page on past failures. That said, keeping resolutions is much easier said than done.
A study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that two-thirds of people abandon their new year resolutions within a month. Maybe last year you wanted to get fit, quit smoking or wake up earlier.
Why are such good intentions so elusive? Psychology experts have discovered a host of techniques that will boost your chances of sticking to your 2022 resolutions. Here are five science-based tips to help you see your goals through.
Make the resolution very specific
Avoid vague resolutions. For example, resolving to “Exercise more” or “Save more money” isn’t specific enough as this lacks ways to mark progress and could easily set you up for failure. Instead, try making your goal very specific- “Jog 5 KM every day” or “Save KES 1000 every month.”
Set achievable goals
In no way does this mean that you can’t stretch your goals. But trying to take a step too big and too fast can leave you frustrated to the point the resolution takes over your life.
Slow and steady habit changes are more effective than the “I can do it ALL “mentality. For example: “I will quit smoking today” might be very hard to do as opposed to slowly cutting down the number of cigarettes or progressively lengthening the time between cigarettes until you quit smoking entirely.
Make it fun
If it’s not fun, you’re unlikely to keep at it. But if you enjoy the activity, you will persist longer. And in the end that is what matters more. The goal isn’t to add stress to your life, but rather to remove it.
Get others involved
Telling someone of your New Year’s resolutions or getting them involved can drastically improve your achieving power. For example: Pairing up to to go the gym with a friend or having them keep you accountable will make it harder to break the promise you made.
Be patient
It is almost impossible to remodel your entire life overnight. Committing to something for the long-term can produce unfathomable results. Whether we are talking about weight loss, committing to a diet, exercising daily, quitting smoking – none of these tasks can be achieved in one day.