2017 has only just begun, and people have already failed with their New Year’s resolutions. You don’t want to quit after two days, but everyone gets caught up in the whirlwind of the holiday and New Year and forgets to focus on the task you set in front of you. Whether or not it’s going to the gym, eating healthier, or any goal you want to achieve in the next year, get working.
Don’t be that person who turns their resolution for the year into the resolution of the week. Follow these tips and tricks to make your New Year’s resolution stick.
1. Make it something fun.
If you hate running, don’t involve running in your New Year’s resolution. If you hate biking, don’t buy a stationary bike. Don’t try to force yourself to do something you don’t like simply to prove something to yourself.
Instead, make your resolution something that is important to you and doable. Try to cut down on sugar, hike more, spend more time with family, or try a new fitness class.
2. Make it manageable.
Let’s be honest, if you’ve never run a mile in your life, don’t make your New Year’s resolution to run a marathon before the summer. That’s just not realistic, and will probably cause you more trouble than it’s worth. Instead, make it something more approachable, and break it into steps—like running a mile without stopping in three weeks. Then take it up a notch from there.
3. It takes three weeks for something to become a habit.
Don’t give up too fast! Studies have shown that it takes three weeks of continuation for anything to become a habit. Don’t let the first week of struggling and feeling down about your lack of motivation deter you from reaching your goals, whatever they may be. Give your New Year’s resolution three weeks, and see what habits you’ve created.
4. Make it a lifestyle change.
Too many times people say “I have to do this, but I don’t want to.” Don’t say you have to, say you want to. Positive reinforcement will help your resolution become a lifestyle change, not just a passing idea that you had hungover on New Year’s Day. Instead, incorporate it into something that you’ve wanted to change about your life, not just what you think your resolution should be.
5. Give yourself a reward.
Set a goal for yourself, and give yourself a reward. Because, damn, you did it. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste, and don’t forget to treat yo’self for accomplishing something that you didn’t think you would.