New Year is not far away and a time when thousands of people across the country vow to make positive adjustments to their life. We all know the drill; a pledge to hit the gym more often, cut back on the booze and cigs or delete the dating apps.
Some New Year’s resolutions last as long as sundown on the first day of the year while others are much more achievable and stand the test of time. While it may seem a silly tradition, it’s a good way to set goals for yourself for the coming year and to break with the bad habits of the previous one. A little preparation for the big day can go a long way in easing the burden of change in your life.
A YouGov survey found that an excessive intake of festive food at Christmas was the cause of almost half of respondents making New Year’s resolutions to do more exercise, improve their level of fitness, and lose weight. 41% also said they’d be looking to improve their diet. Lifestyle changes including giving up smoking (14%) and cutting down on alcohol (12%) also cropped up with regularity in the survey responses.
These are all very common resolutions which can have a very real benefit on people’s lives if they do succeed, but research also indicates that it can be hard to keep up the good work. – the NHS states that only 10% of us will achieve our resolutions, and 11% of 2012 YouGov respondents were hard-pressed to remember whether or not they even made one to achieve.
As the stats show, it can be hard to keep up with your New Year’s resolutions, but a little preparation in advance of the festive season can go a long way. So, without further ado, here are our 5 IDEAL tips to help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions.
FOCUS ON ONE GOAL
You can’t expect to show incredible restraint right from the get-go – an article in Entrepreneur considers willpower as a kind of muscle which needs to be exercised. So don’t take on too much on at once or set an impossible target.
The best way to approach any goal is to not take too much on at once. For example, starting a diet or attempting to quit smoking can be extremely difficult but could overstretch you if you’re attempting to accomplish both goals simultaneously. By choosing to accomplish one thing at a time, you are more likely to succeed.
Also, if losing weight is your thing, don’t deprive yourself of the foods you love. Scientists and nutritionists alike agree that it’s fine to cave in and satisfy your cravings.
MAKE SMALL CHANGES OVER TIME
It’s important to build up your willpower by making small changes. Try swapping a chocolate bar for a piece of fruit, or miss out your morning cigarette and wait until lunch; all of this can help build up your motivation.
Remember it takes a long time to quit a habit such as drinking or smoking. You’ll find that there are alternatives you can use as you slowly wean yourself off either. For example use patches for your arms or chew medically certified nicotine gum. The right way is to take it slowly and don’t go cold turkey: because you are much more likely to relapse if you don’t give your body chance to get used to the change.
As stated by Andrea Bonior in an article on WebMD, it helps to avoid a vague resolution like “lose 10 pounds” and instead be more specific about the smaller changes to your own routine which will hopefully result in weight loss over time, rather than a more general goal in the grand scheme of things.
Start before the New Year, to lessen the impact of the resolution when 2018 strikes.
TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS
The same article also recommends writing down your goals as clearly as possible, broken down into more easily achievable steps. A study from the Dominican University of California via Inc. showed that those who wrote down what they hoped to achieve were more likely to succeed than those who merely visualised the goal, as did those who told family and friends. So by telling a friend, the secret is out; a goal is much more clearly defined when others know about it, and the boost of willpower you get from making your goal more concrete may help you feel more determined to see it through.
FOCUS ON THE PRESENT
It’s tempting to keep long-term considerations for your resolutions in mind, but without getting through the here and now, your resolve may not last that long. If you’re trying to cut down or quit smoking then you always need to tell yourself to wait a little longer before you can have one. The more time you can put between yourself and another cigarette, the better – but start small. Ten minutes may soon extend into half an hour before you’ve even realised, which will potentially make it easier to go another half-hour. Focus on that delay in the present and see how long you can make it last.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT’S OUT THERE
Getting help with sticking to your New Year’s resolutions can come in a variety of forms. If you’re considering knocking booze on the head, the NHS offers various options which can help you cut down on your habit and even to stop. Boost your willpower with some advice from former problem drinkers on how they managed to kick the habit. There’s a wide range of discussions and advice guides available online.
We all know that the most effective way to shed the pounds and keep them off is to eat a healthy diet and exercise, exercise, exercise. However to help you on your journey to feel healthier and lose weight, consider weight-loss pills. But remember, they aren’t magical and you should use them as part of a holistic approach to losing weight. Always consult with your doctor before taking a weight-loss supplement.
Whatever habit you’re trying to break – or to form, in the case of improving fitness or working more effectively – building and maintaining your willpower is an extremely important part of meeting your goals. Remember, this stuff is tough for everyone. Don’t give up!