Setting New Year’s resolutions can be a very daunting task partially because of fear of not following through with your resolution. Once February hits with an unused gym membership and a sneaky cigarette purchase, we feel embarrassed and question why we even started a resolution in the first place. It’s important to remember that creating new habits takes time, energy and does not happen overnight. With sheer determination, a full glass of positivity, you can do whatever you set your mind to.
Here are 7 tips to help you create long-lasting changes:
1. Write down your goals
If you can picture yourself achieving your greatest goals then you’re halfway there. Write them all down, however big or small. Most importantly write why you are setting these resolutions. Writing them all down allows your mind to visualise yourself at the finish line. Once you start losing faith in achieving your goals, refer to this list again and remind yourself WHY you started.
2. Reward yourself for your smallest accomplishments
Now that you’ve set the big picture in your head, it’s time to break down your goals into small slices. So you’ve signed up for a marathon in December, great! Each time you complete a successful training session, give yourself a little reward. This will set positive associations in your mind, tricking it to always look forward to the next training.
3. Change one behaviour at a time
It’s easy to come up with 100 resolutions once the New Year kicks in but sticking to it is challenging, especially in the first few months of the year. Don’t overwhelm yourself with an abundance of resolutions. Perhaps you can space out your goals throughout the year. Slow and steady wins the race!
4. Talk about your resolutions
The more you talk about your resolutions, the more you will feel you can achieve them. Especially once your friends have heard you say what you want to achieve, they can motivate you to stick to your goal.
5. Find a resolution buddy
Completing tasks with support from a loved one channels a fun aspect resulting in higher success rates in achieving your goals. High five each other at each small achievement, discuss tactics on hitting the bigger goal, hold each other accountable for missing that fitness class! At Co-labs Coworking, our thriving community is always here to cheer each other on.
6. Don’t beat yourself up
If you missed that gym session because you were caught up in a meeting, don’t fret. Change doesn’t happen overnight, it’s an ongoing process of commitment. Perfection is not the key. Set yourself to complete the marathon, not run it.
7. Commit to your goals
After a month of commitment, it’s so easy to lose focus, especially after you’ve been doing so well. Your mind feels it needs a reward after going through so much resilience. Don’t give up. Remember why you started. This will be a good time to look back at the list you created from tip #1.
