Do you find it difficult to stick to your New Years resolution?
If so, you’re certainly not alone. The Forbes Advisor found that on average, people who stick with their resolutions past January, tend to only see them through to Mid – May. And only 6% of the people they surveyed stuck with it for the full year. Which is not very encouraging is it. Statistics like that, makes you wonder why you should bother making a resolution at all. Is it just a waste of time and effort?
Well there are of course, lots of very good reason to make a resolution. For hope and improvement and personal growth. The majority of people surveyed by Forbes were making resolutions to enhance well-being, with dietary and exercise changes. Or they were hoping to quit bad habits, reduce stress and improve mental health. All good causes that I can get behind, so definitely worth doing. But how can we ensure that we actually see them through to the end of the year or better still find a way to make the changes so achievable that we stick with for life. They become part of who we are, really resulting in a new improved you!
I guess the first thing to consider is that there is no rush. Yes, it’s the New Year, which makes us think it’s the perfect time for new beginnings, but is that really the case? After all New year celebrations are a man made construct. Nature has a very different idea about when the new year begins. Right now, the natural world is resting. Many animals are hibernating and most trees and plants are in a state of dormancy, conserving energy and building up reserves for when it’s time to burst forth with new life. But that time is not now. So maybe it’s time to take our cue from nature. Maybe this time of deepest Winter, with it’s drop in temperatures, it’s long dark nights and a need for warmth and comfort, is the wrong time to be springing into something new.
Maybe, we should instead be using this time to plan our goals, sowing seeds for the next year. Building up our own reserves and get prepared for when nature declares it’s time for fresh starts, time to send out fresh shoots – in the Spring time.
Tips to help you achieve your 2024 resolutions
- Begin by working out what exactly you’d like to achieve.
- Tackle only one change each year.
- Make your goal realistic.
- Plan what you would need to put in place to make it achievable.
- Reflect on why you may have found this change challenging in the past and consider how you can change that this time round.
- Begin taking small steps, no rush though, you have the full year ahead to achieve your goal.
- Take small steps towards your goal and increase the steps more and more each month.