January 1st: people all over America count down to midnight and clink champagne glasses. About half of them also make a New Year’s resolution, according to the Pew Research Center.
Although many see the New Year as the time for a fresh start, an equal number are skeptical. It’s understandable; after all, 71% of all resolutions are broken in the first two weeks. However, with a healthy and intentional growth mindset, New Year’s resolutions can be a wonderful opportunity to pick up some new habits. If you want to really shake things up this year, be sure to:
Pick and choose carefully
Some resolutions simply aren’t doable. To combat failure, you have to consider what your life will be like once break ends. As the stresses and responsibilities return, many people find they simply lack the time or energy to make lasting change. Thus, you have to make sure your resolution is one you can realistically stick to until 2027. For example, if you resolved to get fit, consider going three or four days a week instead of daily. This is more sustainable long-term, and ensures you can balance it with homework, sports, jobs, and friends.
Break it down
Even the most complicated resolution can be tackled if broken down into manageable steps! As Harvard Health Publishing says, “Small steps move you forward to your ultimate goal. Look for surefire bets. Just getting to first base can build your confidence to tackle – and succeed at – more difficult tasks.”
As this shows, anything you can do to get the ball rolling is a big step in the right direction. Besides – having a concrete plan can definitely help with organization.
Change your mindset
Obviously, nobody likes failure. However, you can still benefit from it if you stop looking at the ways your resolution flopped and instead focus on what can be improved next time. Let’s say your goal is to study every afternoon. When you inevitably miss one or two days, instead of giving up, start fresh tomorrow. This kind of attitude truly gives your goals legs – and gives you some wiggle room to make mistakes.
Don’t go it alone
If you want to be consistent, share the love! Having a friend who checks in on your progress regularly can give you someone in your corner on days when you feel less than motivated. Another benefit to this is the flexibility it offers. As NPR’s Marielle Segarra notes, “This can look a lot of different ways. You can know the person before or not. You can be working towards the same goals or different ones. But what we’ve heard over and over again is that the buddy system works for people.”
Have fun!
It might sound cheesy, but it’s true. Time flies when you’re having fun. Forcing yourself to do something you hate day in and day out means you’ll probably burn out. For instance, if you hate working out but still want to be healthy, try finding something like yoga, a sport, or even walking around your neighborhood. And remember, at the end of the day, the important thing is that you tried.
