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The Top New Year’s Resolutions and How You Can Actually Keep Them

As much as we’d like to break old habits and be our best selves, most of us forget about New Year’s resolutions within a couple weeks. Here are some helpful tips on how you can keep them.

By Aly Zorn

By Aly ZornView Author PostsJan 12th 2018

New year, new you… Hold up! Stop with the bullsh*t. As much as we’d like to break old habits and be our best selves, most of the time New Year’s resolutions are forgotten within a couple weeks.

If this sounds like you, then read on because we’ve got some helpful tips that might get you into the routine you’re envisioning.

Let’s start with the basics, though – baby steps – and see what most people think they should be devoting more time to. These are the top New Year’s resolutions according to statista.com.

Eat better
Exercise more
Spend less
More self-care
Read more
Learn a new skill
Get a new job
Make new friends
Form a new hobby
Make no resolutions!

Nothing shocking, right. Why then is it, that New Year’s resolutions are so hard to keep? Sadly I’m not a scientist so I can’t give you the answer but what I can do is share some helpful tips on how to make your chances of sticking to your resolution greater.

1. Set attainable goals

This may seem obvious but more times than not we try to take on too much making our resolution unattainable. You’re not superman or woman, so if your goal is to run more don’t set out trying to jog five kms a day. Instead, start with walking or running for five minutes on the treadmill. Once you feel that, that’s too easy then you can slowly work your way up to more time. It’s easier to keep a resolution when you feel like you’re succeeding and not failing.

2. Reward yourself

In a Psychology Today study, researchers found that you should treat yo-self. People who rewarded themselves at certain benchmarks were more successful in reaching and keeping their resolutions. So if your goal is to lose weight, buy yourself a new top after you lose ten pounds as some added incentive.

3. Believe in yourself

Sounds corny, right? But it turns out there is scientific evidence behind believing that you can accomplish something. In the same Psychology Today study, people who practiced self-efficacy (thinking that they could get the job done) were more determined and therefore more successful.

“71 per cent of successful people slipped up in the first month. The only difference was that these people didn’t quit after the first or second or third mistake”

4. Be resilient and persistent

You may think that people who end up completing their New Year’s resolution(s) are just better or luckier people. Wrong. Research has shown that those who fulfilled their goals actually slipped up just as often as those who didn’t. In fact, 71 per cent of successful people slipped up in the first month. The only difference was that these people didn’t quit after the first or second or third mistake.

5. Don’t tempt yourself

While this isn’t always possible – you still gotta live – avoid any outside stimulus or situations that are going to prompt you to break your resolution. If you would like to quit smoking, for example, avoiding social outings like bars for the first couple months when your cravings will be the worst. Or if you’re trying to eat healthier, don’t go to that baking party one of your friend’s is hosting this weekend.

Good luck on keeping your New Year’s resolutions! We hope these tips help make 2018 a better year.

Source: Psychology Today, Statista