January 1st means New Year resolutions for many people. However, 90% are broken within the first month. But why is this?
There are 3 main reasons why New Year resolutions fail: • People make unrealistic resolutions. • People don’t equip themselves with the mental ammunition to fight off doubt and continue with their goals. • Using guilt or fear as motivation to stop doing something.
But these reasons for failure are easy to overcome with a bit of knowledge and preparation.
Firstly, make your goal specific and manageable. The more specific you make your goal, the more likely you are to succeed. For example, instead of saying “I will be healthier”, make a goal to eat fresh fruit and vegetables at least once a day, or something similar.
To overcome self-doubt, you need more than just a specific goal. A lack of social support increases cortisol, heart rate, and anxiety. All of these factors weaken your ability to stick to your goals. In order to succeed with your New Year’s resolutions, seek support from friends and family, and take breaks.
Mistakes are part of success, so do not be afraid to make them. If you don’t get support from your friends, your first goal should be to get some new ones.
Finally, guilt and shame do not work – in fact they are the biggest hindrance you will face when trying to achieve your goal. The worse you feel about yourself, the less self efficacy you have, and that of course only makes you ashamed.
The solution to this complex situation is something that can be borrowed from some forms of meditation: self-compassion. If you forgive yourself after a transgression with food or something else, you are less likely to make it worse. You have choices. One bad choice doesn’t mean you should give up. You didn’t fail.
So don’t give up! Set yourself a realistic goal, and stick to it no matter what. You will mess up, but forgive yourself carry on. Lean on friends and family when you need to. And above all else, remember why you decided on making that particular change in the first place. That should be all the motivation you need.
Need some help? Get in touch!
Happy New Year everybody!
Yorumlar