Are they going, going, gone? The average length of time someone stays with their resolution is- Resolution maintained through first week—–75% of people
- Past two weeks —- 71% of people
- Past one month —- 64% of people
- Past six months —- 46% of people
So what happens? Really stoked up to lose weight, improve finances, exercise, get a new job, eat healthier last month and now, well it all looks just too hard. Here are a few reasons why we fall off the Resolution Road and park at a rest stop where it much more comfortable.
- Timing. January is a tough month to begin anything new. We’ve already packed on pounds starting during Halloween all the way through Super Bowl Sunday. Not to mention, it’s cold and dark out (at least in the U.S.) making us less active and even less motivated to change. Money is often tighter in January, after splurging during the holidays. Stress is higher, as well.
- High motivation with no real plan. Those New Year’s Resolutions don’t come with instructions. Sure, you can say, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds this year”, but that’s only the first step. To stay motivated, you need a detailed plan and often expert advice to be more likely to succeed.
- Setting unrealistic goals. Really? Going cold turkey from smoking or losing 50 pounds in 6 months? We sometimes set multiple resolutions or goals that have nothing in common (like losing weight and getting out of debt) expecting to accomplish them all simultaneously.
- Being too tough on ourselves. We have big expectations for ourselves, and end up being disappointed because it is harder or progress is slower than we expected or we have an occasional setback. This can cause you to give up.
- Lack of support or accountability. Trying to stay motivated on your own is tough. We’re social beings. We do better trying to reach a goal when we have support and are being held accountable for what we do. If no one knows you’re on a diet and fast food isn’t on your approved menu, the only thing keeping you away from the fast food lane is your own self-control.
A Better WaySurprise! It begins with having a plan.
- Rev up your can-do. Start with five minute changes. Instead of making a big unclear resolution, pinpoint one small, meaningful step you can take towards change that you can do in five minutes. For example, maybe your resolution is to eat healthier. Take five minutes to make a grocery list that includes more fruits and vegetables. Or make small tweaks in what you eat every day by eliminating one sugary drink a day. Small changes keep you moving toward your goal and help you get unstuck when you begin to fall off track.
- Stay motivated. One way to do this is to get an accountability partner or mentor. Another way is to create a vision board of what healthy looks like to you. Include images of you succeeding and living the life you want.
- Go for 10. Use the rule of 10, which simply means do something for 10 minutes instead of 30, or change 10% instead of 100%. So if you want to get healthier by getting fit, make your goal to do 10 minutes of exercise every day. You can work up to longer periods, but getting started is the hard part. With only doing 10 minutes of something you are more likely to do it. The same can be said for healthy eating. Instead of completely changing the way you eat all at once, add more fruit or vegetables or cut out 10% of sugar intake a day (like 1 donut), gradually decreasing until you’ve eliminated sugar from your diet.
- Make pre-commitments. Piggy-back what you want to change onto something you’re already doing. One way to do this is to add one more vegetable to your plate each day.
- Try the proximity trick. This works well if you are trying to add exercise to your daily routine. The trick here is to place your sneakers and workout clothes next to your bed each night. That way, when you wake up they’re the first things you see.
- Create a list. Make a list and cross off a task as you do it. This boosts your motivation. According to Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog!-21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, the dopamine or the motivation chemical is released whenever you “do something life-enhancing, such as completing a task.”
So there you have it–create lists, work on small steps at a time, and find ways to stay motivated along the way.
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