Start a new year! It is the perfect time to propose new projects and leave bad habits behind.
For many, New Year’s resolutions represent a “new beginning” with which to establish renewed goals for personal improvement.
Maybe to save some money? Or maybe you want a new hobby?
Whatever your year-end resolutions, there is one thing that cannot be missing: motivation.
But as we all know, that’s not easy.
According to a study from the University of Scranton, compiled by Statistic Brain, only 8% of people who made a New Year’s resolution were able to meet their goals.
But you don’t have to be one of that remaining 92%. Here we review five simple ways for avoid fail and reach the end of the year with your resolution fulfilled.
Good luck!
1. Small steps
Setting realistic goals can lead to a greater likelihood of success.
Part of the problem is that we often set enormous goals “under the false assumption that we HE could be a completely different person when the new year begins,” says psychotherapist Rachel Weinstein.
By starting with a not so ambitious goal, we can progress and move on to more difficult levels.
For example, you can buy some running shoes and sign up for short races before fully committing to running. run a marathon
It is not about setting short goals but about tackle the objectives for phases to achieve long-term results.
Because in reality, “change requires small steps over time,” Weinstein explains.
2. The importance of details
We often set goals without a clear idea of how to execute them.
But it’s important plan the details.
Making a goal to “go to the gym on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings” is more likely to be successful than simply saying “I’ll go to the gym more,” believes Professor Neil Levy of the University of Oxford in England.
Are concrete and feasible actions They will ensure that you not only have an intention, but also set the steps to implement it.
3. Help network
Finding other people with a similar goal throughout the year can be a great source of motivation.
If you go to class with a friend, the commitment is stronger. The same thing happens when you make your list of commitments public, we are more likely to follow through.
John Michael, philosopher at the University of Warwick (England), studies the social factors involved in make and keep commitments.
He claims that we are more likely to keep resolutions if we can see that they are somehow important to other people or that “other people’s well-being is at stake” if we fail.
So, whether it’s keeping a commitment or getting additional support from the people around us, involving others can help achieve the goal.
4. Overcome failure
When things get tough, experts advise taking a pause and reassessing the situation.
What obstacles have you encountered? That strategies were the most effective in the process? Which were the least effective?
If necessary, be more realistic and celebrate even the smallest success.
If after reassessing the situation you want to maintain the same resolve, why not try a different approach that can fuel your willpower?
Simple changes to your daily life can help you head in the right direction.
If you want to eat healthy, you can swap white pasta and bread for healthier whole grains.
Or you can try reducing saturated fat by replacing cakes and chips with veggie sticks and nutritious smoothies.
5. Alineatu resolution with long-term objectives.
According to behavioral psychologist Anne Swinbourne, the best resolutions are those that aim to achieve a part of what is a long term plan that you have for yourself, instead of those that are lazy and ambitious.
If you have never shown interest in a sport, it is unlikely that you will become an outstanding athlete.
“People who rely on willpower mostly fail,” says Swinbourne.
So once you have a resolution that interests you, boardtowith a detailed plan from day one.
And don’t be afraid to reach out for help as you fight those obstacles along the way.
Originally published by the BBC on December 31, 2019. Updated January 1, 2023
