Each January, thousands of people set New Year’s Resolutions with the best of intentions. But what starts as “I’m going to run a 10k, cook 3 vegan meals a week from scratch and read at least 12 books” quickly becomes “Damn, where did I put my trainers? Ugh, I can’t be bothered to cook, I’ll just have a quick scroll through Instagram while I wait for my microwave meal to finish.”
Does this sound all too familiar? You’re not alone. Studies have shown that only 19% of people actually keep to their resolutions.
Get ahead and discover our top tips for helping you stick to your New Year's Resolutions all through the year. Need inspo for actual goals to set? We’ve got a good starting point here.
Make your goals specific
When your goals are generic and lack a timeframe (e.g. “get fit” or “learn Spanish”) then it’s likely that it’ll be harder to track your progress. Resolutions and goals that are specific and realistic in scope are key. Try something like “Run a mile in less than ten minutes by April” or “Learn 100 words in Spanish by my Summer holiday”. You can plan how to achieve these goals a lot more easily and with small, manageable steps.
If you’re numbers-driven, then this kind of specificity is a great way to go. But what about if you aren’t? Flexibility is key. Choose a numeric range for yourself, for example: “I want to learn between 50-100 Spanish words in 3-4 months”. This helps to take the pressure off, but will also allow you to feel accomplished when you achieve it.
Be patient and don’t put pressure on yourself
Try to keep the frame of mind that you’ve got all year to achieve your goals - don’t try and do it all at once. The phrase ‘slow and steady wins the race’ exists for a reason! If you feel rushed to get everything done at once, the likelihood is you’ll feel discouraged and will break your resolution.
There’s also such a thing as decision making fatigue: The more decisions that you have to make, the weaker your willpower will be as the day goes on. Even if they’re minor decisions like deciding whether to do a 20 minute HIIT session or watch another episode of your current Netflix favourite, they all have an effect on your decision making process. The main thing to remember is to have patience with yourself and be proud of the progress you’re making throughout the year.
Make it enjoyable for yourself
It’s likely that you won’t stick to something if you’re bored by it. Making sure that you’re engaged by whatever you’re trying to learn or do will make it far more likely that you carry on with your goals throughout the year, and ultimately achieve them. This might feel like an unconventional way to think about your goals, but when you have fun with an activity, your brain gets a hit of dopamine. This then triggers your brain’s pleasure system, making the activity seem rewarding.
So, in summary: You can turn your New Year’s Resolutions into year-long healthy habits by making sure they’re specific, engaging and by being patient with yourself - and now you know that, you can choose some goals that you know you can achieve all throughout the year!