
With a new year comes the inevitable resolutions to eat cleaner, work out more often, and maybe even start a new hobby. But, according to U.S. News and World Report, 80% of these goals typically arenât met, and most people have given up by mid-February.
It doesnât have to be that way, though. Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert told Business Insider that people typically fail to keep up with their New Yearâs resolutions for three reasons. First, they arenât specific enough, so people canât track their progress. Often, theyâre also not framed positively. Resolving to âstop wasting moneyâ or âstop eating junk food,â might actually make you more likely to continue the habit, because youâre thinking about it constantly. Lastly, some peopleâs resolutions arenât about what they actually want, but what they think they should do. And the lack of internal motivation makes them a lot less likely to actually follow through.
So with that in mind, here are six tips to help you set a New Yearâs resolution that youâll actually stick to.
Set a Measurable Goal
If you want to exercise more, figure out a way to quantify that. âItâs easier to drop out or walk away when you set goals or resolutions that are vague,â Alpert told Business Insider. Do you want to walk outside for 30 minutes four days a week? Or maybe you want to get a gym membership and aim to go every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Whatever your aspiration, make sure thereâs a way that you can measure it. This way, you can track your progress and hold yourself accountable for actually achieving your goal.
Frame Your Resolution in a Positive Way
âWe need to feed ourselves positive self-talk,â Alpert explained. âInstead of telling ourselves âdonât eat junk food,â we should be telling ourselves, âeat carrots and peanut butter as a healthy snack.ââ Rather than focusing on what you donât want to do in 2020, keep things positive and think about what you want to do instead. Youâll be more motivated to make it happen.
Make Sure Itâs Something You Actually Want
This tip might seem obvious but, according to Alpert, people often choose New Yearâs resolutions based on what they think they ought to do, rather than what they actually want. So if you donât actually want to start meditating, please, donât make it your New Yearâs resolution. Instead, youâre better off choosing something youâre actually interested in starting so that youâll enjoy the experience. Forming a new habit is hard enough; it should at least be something you actively want to do.
Write Down Your Goals
Psychologist, performance coach, and consultant Elizabeth Ward, Ph.D., told SELF that people who write down their goals feel a greater sense of accountability and have a much higher chance of accomplishing them. Start a resolution progress journal (tying into the first tip here) or tack your resolution up on your bulletin board so you see it every day. This way, itâll remain top of mind well beyond February.
Make Your Resolutions Public
Another thing that increases a sense of accountability is making goals public, John Norcross, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Scranton told SELF. That doesnât mean you need to post your resolution to Instagram for the world to see. Unless you want to, of course. Tell a few friends, or get your family in on your goal and ask them to check up on you. That way, youâll be less likely to fall off the wagon.
Donât Be Too Hard on Yourself
âHaving a lapse is common. In fact, 75 percent of resolution-makers slip up within the first two months,â Norcross pointed out. âOne setback shouldnât undo all your efforts. Instead of stewing, figure out how to prevent it from happening again.â Youâre bound to slip up (we all do from time to time), but donât let it cause you to throw in the towel. Pick up right where you left off and youâll be on your way to completing your resolution.
Sources and External Links
Most People Fail to Achieve Their New Year’s Resolution. For Success, Choose a Word of the Year Instead
https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/why-set-yourself-up-for-failure-ditch-new-years-resolution-do-this-instead.htmlA psychotherapist says there are 3 common reasons so many people’s New Year’s resolutions end in failure
https://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-resolutions-failure-advice-jonathan-alpert-2018-12How to Make (and Keep) Your New Year’s Resolutions
https://www.self.com/story/new-year-resolution-handbook
How to Make (and Keep) Your New Year’s Resolutions
https://www.self.com/story/new-year-resolution-handbook