Only 9% of people actually achieve their new year’s resolutions. That’s a lot of people failing to achieve their goals, right? We all want to become better people, but it seems like only a select few are actually capable of doing it. Don’t worry, it’s not some pre-determined, innate characteristic – they’re simply following these 5 tips!
Create SMART goals
Making your goals SMART is such an easy way to add structure and effectiveness to your new year’s resolutions. It also makes it so much easier to create a plan later on,
Your goals should be:
- specific
- measurable
- achievable
- relevant
- time-bound
Change your identity
Researchers have found that changing your perception of yourself to someone who can achieve your goals makes you more likely to actually achieve them! As well as this, other studies also recommend that you link your goals (and their corresponding habits) to values you want to exhibit.
Make habits easy
Decreasing the effort it takes to do a habit means you’ll be much more likely to follow through. Set up reminders so you won’t forget: this lessens your mental load! Also, start off your habits small – you can increase the effort as you progress and get used to it. Here’s some ideas for good habits to start this year.
Change your environment
You are the product of your environment. According to Duke psychologist Professor Wendy Wood, most veterans who were addicts in Vietnam were no longer addicted when they returned to the USA. Why? Because their environment changed. So if you want to change, your environment needs to change. If you live in a house full of fast food, then you probably won’t stick to your goal of eating healthier. Remove anything that doesn’t serve your goals.
Track your progress
Make a habit tracker to track your progress. Allow yourself some lenience, but don’t skip two days in a row! Try to see how long you can keep your habit streak. Seeing how consistent you are being will give you a boost of motivation.
