5 Tips for Fulfilling Your New Year’s Resolutions

The start of a new year is, for many, the ideal time to set goals.

Save more money? Getting a new job? Learn a different skill?

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions, there’s one thing you can’t do without: motivation.

But how to get them off paper?

According to a study by the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania (United States), compiled by the consultancy Statistic Brain, only 8% of people who made a New Year’s resolution managed to fulfill their goals.

But you don’t have to be one of the remaining 92%.

Check out five simple ways to avoid failure and reach the end of the year with your resolution fulfilled.

Good luck!

1. Small steps

Setting realistic goals can lead to a greater chance of success.

Part of the problem is that we often set huge goals “under the false assumption that you can be a completely different person in the new year,” says psychotherapist Rachel Weinstein.

Starting with a not so ambitious goal, we can progress and move on to more difficult levels.

For example, you might buy some running shoes and sign up for short-distance competitions before fully committing to running a marathon.

It’s not about setting small goals, but thinking about meeting objectives in stages to achieve long-term results.

Because, in reality, “change requires small steps over time,” explains Weinstein.

2. The importance of details

We often set goals without a clear idea of ​​how to accomplish them.

But it’s important to plan the details. If you set out to “go to the gym on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings”, you are more likely to succeed than simply saying “I go to the gym more”, believes the professor Neil Levy, from the University of Oxford (England).

These concrete, doable actions will ensure that you not only have an intention, but also set out the steps to implement it.

3. Support network

Finding other people with a similar goal throughout the year can be a great source of motivation.

If you go to class with a friend, the dedication is greater. The same thing happens when you make your commitment list public, we are more likely to fulfill it.

John Michael, a philosopher at the University of Warwick (England), studies the social factors involved in making and keeping commitments. other people’s welfare is at stake” if we fail.

So whether it’s fulfilling a commitment or getting additional support from those around us, involving others can help you get there.

4. Get Over Failure

When the going gets tough, experts advise taking a break and reassessing the situation.

What obstacles did you encounter? What strategies were most effective in the process? Which were the least effective?

If necessary, be more realistic and celebrate even the smallest success. If after reassessing the situation you want to maintain the same determination, why not try a different approach that can fuel your willpower?

Simple changes to your daily life can help get you moving in the right direction.

If you want to eat healthier, you can swap out white pasta and bread for healthier whole grains.

Or you can try to cut back on saturated fat by replacing pastries and chips with vegetable sticks and nutritious shakes.

5. Align your resolution with long-term goals

According to behavioral psychologist Anne Swinbourne, the best resolutions are those that are aimed at achieving one part of what a long-term plan you have for yourself is, not ones that are vague and ambitious. sport, you are unlikely to become an outstanding athlete.

“People who rely on willpower often fail,” says Swinbourne.

Once you have a resolution that interests you, approach it with a detailed plan from day one.

And don’t be afraid to seek help when facing obstacles along the way.

This article was originally published here