The Psychology of New Year’s Resolutions: 3 golden rules for keeping New Years Resolutions

Before the clock strikes twelve on 31st December, we think of a bad habit or of something that we want to do more of, and then we wholeheartedly commit to achieving this over the coming 365 days and beyond!

But, how many of us make New Year’s Resolutions which are so evidently uninspiring that they are left unfulfilled and long since forgotten by February?

So why do we do this to ourselves? And how can we set resolutions that we might actually be able to keep?

Here are 3 quick tips for improving your Resolutions as well as some insights into how I plan to ‘smash it’ in 2017.

1.    Find your ‘Why’

The closer the link between your Resolution and you Values, the more likely you are to achieve your goal. I find that people frequently understate how important their goal is until they look a little deeper.

Like so many people around the world, my first goal of 2017 is going to be to get in better shape. But to find my ‘why’, I will answer these 3 questions:

·      Why is it a priority for me?

·      How will I feel once you have achieved this?

·      What would be different in my life if I achieve this?

I know that I feel better when I exercise regularly. I can focus more on work, feel more confident and it makes me eat healthier too. This is good for the success of my business, my relationships and my health. That’s a good enough ‘why’ for me!

Ultimately, if it’s not important to you and won’t make a significant difference to your life, focus on something else instead.

2.    Have a strategy

It is ridiculously difficult to simply stop doing something that has become a habit. The amount of willpower that I would need to ‘Stop eating chocolate’ would be insane. Especially when I know I still have a Chocolate Orange in my room from Christmas!

The best way to remove a habit is to replace it with a better habit. You need to identify 3 things about the habit:

·      What triggers the habit?

·      What is the action or thing that you do/think/feel?

·      What is the reward or emotion that comes with/after?

I have a guilty pleasure of eating chocolate about 1 hour after lunch and dinner when I get a sugar craving. So the best thing for me is not to fight the craving, but to insert something else that will satisfy me at the trigger point. So I will have a piece of fruit ready to eat every day after lunch and I will have a nice cup of herbal tea an hour after dinner.

Just like in business, sports and war, without a good strategy you’ll probably lose. If you’ve found your ‘why’ then it’s worth making a proper plan.

3.    Tell the world

Research has shown that a goal that has been explicitly shared is 10 times more likely to be achieved than one that remains private. Boldly share your vision of the future with others and they will be able to encourage you with that vision in mind.

So my most exciting goal for 2017 is to press forward with my business, PathBoss.  Creating my first online course for people to understand who they are in order to make better life and career choices. This is my focus. If I’m busy doing things that are not supporting this then I’m off task and I give you permission to nudge me back on track in your own way. (Thanks in advance).

·      What are your goals and resolutions for 2017?   

·      Do you have your ‘why’?

·      What are your strategies?

Let me know if you need support in achieving something big this year.

Wishing you all the best for 2017.