Advice January 10, 2023

HOW TO STICK TO YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

2023 has arrived and with a new year usually comes new goals and resolutions! So, let’s talk about how to create realistic goals and how you can stick to them!

 

1. DEFINE YOUR GOAL, MAKE IT REALISTIC AND MAKE IT PART OF YOUR IDENTITY

Once you have figured out what your goal is going to be, figure out the best way that you can achieve that goal. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon, your training is going to start small and build up gradually. You’re not going to start Day 1 of your training with a 20km run. If you’re realistic, your goals will be much more sustainable and achievable.

James Clear- entrepreneur and author of the novel ‘Atomic Habits’- says that focusing on the identity that you would like to build is more important than focusing on just the goal itself. So, if you would like to run a marathon, build the identity of a runner. Even if you only run a short distance every day, you are building the identity of a runner, while working towards your goals in a realistic wayThis will make it much easier to stick to your goals, but also maintain them even after you have achieved them, as you have now built a new identity and formed new habits.

2. BE MENTALLY TOUGH

Some days, achieving your goals or sticking with your new habits is going to feel too hard or you might experience some setbacks. It is so important to remember that setbacks will occur, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t still moving forward.

James Clear shares his insights about ‘never missing twice’. This means it’s alright to have one slip up or setback but recognize it and don’t let it happen again. If your resolution is to become a runner by running every day, but you miss one day, be mentally strong enough to not miss two days or three days. Making excuses just makes it harder to stick to your resolutions.

3. THINK POSITIVELY

If you can train your brain to think positively, you will learn to stop doubting yourself. James Clear stresses the importance of focusing on the good and ignoring the bad- a habit that can apply to all aspects of life. As humans, we always prefer to be praised and hear good things about ourselves. So, if we start only focusing on the positives when it comes to our family and friends, we’ll start to do this with ourselves as well.

4. BE PATIENT

Building habits takes time, so don’t worry if it feels like you’re stuck or slow going- that’s normal. By being mentally tough, you can tell yourself that making changes takes time and even if you’re 1% better than you were yesterday, that’s still a huge accomplishment! Sometimes half the battle is showing up, even if you don’t feel better, faster or stronger than you did the day before. Just remember, it’s okay to have off days.

5. BE A FORWARD THINKER

Are you picturing what your goals look like in the future? Are you picturing yourself crossing the finish line of that marathon? If you are able to concentrate on what the future looks like, it will be easier to stay motivated. Make sure that you learn from your mistakes and focus on the changes and adjustments that you can make to allow yourself to be better in the future
 
When building good habits, results often take time- so, it is important to continue looking forward to what your life will look like in a few weeks or a few months once you have given your habits and goals a chance to show real results.

6. DECIDE THAT FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

Sticking to your resolution is entirely up to you, but it’s okay if you need to adjust it or modify it to ensure that it’s still serving you and making you happyIf your resolution was to run a marathon, but your body needs time to adjust to becoming an avid runner, maybe you adjust your goals to run a half-marathonRather than failing and giving up on your resolution, allow yourself to learn from your mistakes, take breaks when necessary and prioritize building an identity around the goals that you are trying to achieve. Running a half-marathon still makes you a runner and puts you one step closer to being able to run a full marathon.

 

So, after all of that, do you finally feel ready to build your new identity and finally stick to your New Year’s resolution?!


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