Making New Year’s Resolutions That Stick

 

Four thousand years ago the ancient Babylonians made annual promises to their Gods so New Years resolutions are nothing new. Aborting those resolutions are also nothing new, as we are notoriously bad with sticking with them. In fact, we are so bad a resolutions we made up 2 days dedicated to our failures. January 17th is Ditch Your Resolution Day and Fall Off the Wagon Day is celebrated on February 4th.

So how do you come up with a resolution that will stick? You can do it by following 3 simple rules.

Rule #1 – Choose one that is manageable.

Smaller goals lead to bigger success! For an example we will look at the most popular resolution, weight loss. Instead of saying, “I want to lose 50 pounds” instead focus on the manageable plan. Maybe say, “I’m going to walk 2 miles every day and stop drinking soda.”

Rule #2 – Choose one that can be tracked.

People are more likely to stay motivated on big goals if they can see progress. Tracking progress helps keep you motivated. Using the example above, you could get a calendar and put a big X every day that you walk 2 miles or you could use a fitness tracker.

Rule #3 – Choose one that is meaningful to you.

Chose a resolution that aligns with your core values and is something you deeply care about. Give it meaning, for example rather than say “I want to stop smoking” try saying, “I want to live to see my grandkids”