New Year, new me. The start of a new year always brings the hope for a fresh start. While people are notorious for pledging their commitment to these resolutions, less than 25 percent of people actually stick with their goal for a month and only eight percent accomplish those goals, according to Forbes Magazine. Life changing routines are hard, it generally takes 21 days in order for a new behavior to become a habit. Twenty-one days might sound easy but even that time frame has its challenges. Although the numbers sound like the odds are against you, there are different tactics that can be done when trying to achieve New Year’s Resolutions like any other goals.
Majority of resolutions revolve around physical and mental wellness: going to the gym more, losing weight, being positive, staying motivated, being a better person, etc. These are all goals that take time to achieve. One of the first mistakes people make is taking on too much too quickly. Planning out a realistic time frame for when you would like to achieve your goal is going to help. Saying you want to lose 20lbs in a month is not healthy or realistic. Just like creating goals in a care plan, New Year’s Resolutions should be well thought out. Not only are you setting yourself up by putting stress on your body trying to achieve those results in a short period of time but you’re also setting yourself up mentally to feel like a failure. The same can be applied if your goal is to be a more positive person. If you expect yourself to change overnight and be able to feel positive all the time you will end up spending more time angry with yourself than anything.
The second mistake people make when trying to achieve a New Year’s Resolution is letting a setback discourage them and give up. As the saying goes Rome was not built in a day. Just because you ate that piece of cake or could not shake negative thoughts in a certain situation does not mean you will never achieve your goal and to throw in the towel. The focus should not be on how many times you had to give yourself a pep-talk to get things back in line, it should be on how much closer you are to achieving your goals than when you started.
The last mistake a majority of people make it not having anyone in their corner for support. Making your resolutions public can not only help keep you accountable but can help create a team around you that motivates and keeps you focused. Having that support system can make all of the difference.
According to the New York Post here are some questions that can help you remain motivated to stick with your resolutions: why do you want to make the change; is your goal concrete and measurable, what is your plan, who can support you as you work toward change; and how will you celebrate your victories? Remember all in all don’t be too hard on yourself because you can do it!