Setting Effective New Year's Resolutions
Dec 13, 2017
How to set resolutions in the New Year that you can stick to
Every year we seem to have a habit of setting ourselves New Year’s Resolutions, yet two or three months down the line no action has been taken, we’ve not committed to what we said we would and that gym membership has never been used. Have you ever done that?! So what can we do differently to increase our chances of success in achieving what we set out to? Here’s three simple steps, which we know from high performance studies work, that you can use to help you on your journey to realising your New Year’s resolutions.
Step 1 - Calendarise
How many times have you written something down on a “to do” list, such as a New Year’s resolution and it never gets done? Did you commit to a date when it would happen by? To increase your chances of success put your commitments in your calendar. You are much more likely of success if you do this. In fact, why not pull out an annual calendar on one page and decide what commitments you are going to do when, so you can visualise it? Get your commitments, in particular when you will start something by or finish something by, in your calendar and set an electronic reminder for yourself!
Step 2 - Communicate
Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution to yourself, but never communicated it to anyone, so you tell yourself “it doesn’t really matter I haven’t done it as no one knows?!” What would happen if you publicised your New Year’s Resolutions on social media or to your family and friends and asked your network to hold you to account - would that shift your perspective? By tying your commitment into something bigger than you, such as to your family, friends, workplace, society, you are far more likely to succeed. So communicate your commitments to others and state what you will do if you don’t achieve it!
Step 3 - Consistency
Underpinning all aspects of high performance living, is consistency. If your intention as part of your New Year’s resolutions is to set a new habit (such as going to the gym), you need to consistently commit to that new habit. Ideally for at least 60days for it to really take effect. To increase your chances of success avoid making a commitment list that’s as long as your arm that you are unlikely to be successful in, e.g. going to the gym five times a week if you’ve never been to it once. Commit to going once or twice and then increase your frequency. That’s not to say don’t dream big - absolutely dream big, but take small steps to get there and importantly celebrate the small wins towards those big dreams.
If you enjoyed this post or know of someone that might benefit from it, please like and share!
If you want to register for a discovery session to help you on your journey to not only setting, but achieving those New Year's resolutions, click on the link below!
