Making New Year resolutions is the easiest part. It's when the daily grind kicks in that things start to get hard. With baby steps and some easy tips, perhaps this can be the year that you finally achieve your New Year resolutions!
Focus on one
Focus your attention on one resolution because you'll need time to adjust to it. It’s a behavioural change that requires some brain rewiring, so it doesn’t help when you overwhelm yourself with multiple goals at once. You’ll feel discouraged when you don't meet all of them, and nobody needs that kind of heavy energy, especially when you're just starting out.
Break it down into small steps
You know the saying – don't bite off more than you can chew. If you've been sedentary for awhile now, it's not realistic to jump into a year-long gym membership. May we suggest starting out with some yoga stretches at home every other day, or hiking once a week?
Likewise, if your goal is to eat healthier, maybe start by doing meat free Mondays instead of overhauling your entire diet in one day.
The power of positive phrasing
Have you noticed that many of our resolutions involve doing something ‘less’, ‘quitting’ or ‘cutting down on’ something? It turns out, we might be better off using positive language instead.
A study showed that less than half of participants with avoidance-oriented goals (e.g. “I want to drink less”) reported succeeding, but 59 per cent of those with approach-oriented goals (e.g. “I’ll only drink once a week”) stuck to their resolutions even after a year.
In other words, how you phrase things matter. Negative phrasing reminds you of the habit you’re trying to suppress, while positive framing helps you focus on what you want to do and why it matters to you.
Pat yourself on the back
Don't wait to validate yourself until you've ran the last mile of your dream marathon or lost every unwanted kilo. Changes don't happen overnight and are often incremental. Encourage yourself to keep at it by pausing to acknowledge success as you tick off small and big steps en route to a goal.
Don't beat yourself up for less-than-stellar days
We’ve all been there – you’ve been eating clean and working out over the past month. But there comes a Friday when you have to work overtime and the next night there’s a birthday party you can’t miss.
Suddenly, you feel like you've failed and screwed up your track record. Don't forget that slip-ups are inevitable, and it's not healthy to be "perfect". The key is to embrace where you've done well. Change is a long road, not a tightrope – even if your plans fall through with plans, you can always resume the next day.
Utilize technology
These days, we have apps for everything. Whether it's to boost your fitness levels, quit a bad habit or save more money. If you’re trying to meditate more, check out apps like Headspace. Planning to save? Money-tracking apps like Monny and Wally will come in handy. Attempting a digital detox? Check out apps like Flipd that help you manage your social media consumption.
Now it’s time to conquer your New Year resolutions. Good luck!