FIVE TIPS TO HELP YOU STICK TO YOUR RESOLUTIONS IN 2024
Released On 16th Dec 2023
As we approach the end of the year, you might be thinking ahead to 2024 and some of the changes you want to make.
Many of us set resolutions for the new year to help us get a fresh start and improve various aspects of our lives. You might decide to set lifestyle resolutions such as exercising more, eating better, or taking up a new hobby. Financial resolutions are very common too and they can be a good way to develop better spending habits.
However, according to the BBC, only 35% of people stick to all of their resolutions.
The good news is, there are some simple steps you can take to make those changes permanent. Read on to learn five tips to help you stick to your resolutions in 2024.
1. Make your resolution realistic
When setting a resolution, it’s important that you are realistic about what you can achieve. For instance, if you decide that you want to be more active, you might set yourself a resolution to exercise for an hour every single day.
Yet, that’s a very difficult target to meet and you will likely feel disheartened when you can’t keep up with it.
Instead, you could set a more realistic goal of exercising twice a week. This is much easier to attain, so you may be more likely to stick to it and stay motivated.
Starting with small, realistic goals helps you maintain consistency. You can then build on this in the future.
2. Focus on one thing at a time
It’s tempting to create a long list of resolutions but you may be more likely to succeed if you choose one.
Taking on too many different changes at once can be daunting because establishing new behavioural patterns takes a lot of time and effort. It is important to remember that the habits you are trying to change may have been developed and cemented over years or even decades. As a result, it can take a while to undo old patterns and create new ones.
Overstretching yourself and trying to change too much at once could mean that you’re more likely to give up on your resolutions.
You may find it easier to focus on one resolution and dedicate all your energy to it. Then, once you have established it as part of your routine, you can move on to something different.
3. Measure your progress
Change doesn’t happen overnight and you may find that you lose motivation after the first few weeks. This is especially true if you are trying to make improvements to your health, for example.
Fortunately, you can boost your motivation by measuring your progress closely. If you make a resolution to save more money, for instance, you can track your total every month. Alternatively, if you want to lose weight you can use calorie tracking apps and weigh yourself regularly.
Whatever resolution you decide on, it’s important that you find some way to measure your progress. Then, when you feel unmotivated, you can check in and remind yourself of the positive changes you have already made so far.
4. Focus on the end goal
Typically, you set a resolution because you want to achieve an end goal of some kind. For example, you might aim to cut back on snacking so you can lose weight. Yet, the overall end goal is not simply to reduce the numbers on the scale.
You likely want to look and feel better or perhaps you want to be healthier so you can spend time with your family for longer.
It is these overall goals you should focus on, rather than the behavioural change itself. This puts things into perspective and makes it easier to avoid the temptation to break your resolutions.
This can also be useful when setting resolutions in the first place. By picturing the wider lifestyle changes you want to achieve, you can then find smaller incremental changes that make suitable resolutions.
5. Forgive yourself for mistakes
A relatively high number of people fail to keep their resolutions each year. After the initial incentive fades, it can be hard to stick with your new routine and you may find that you slip up from time to time.
Often, once people break the resolution, they give up on it altogether because they consider it a failure. Yet, one mistake does not undo all your previous work.
For example, if you decide to cut out caffeine and you drink a cup of coffee one day, don’t focus on that one error. Instead, focus on all the days when you didn’t drink any caffeine.
You can continue with your resolution even when you break it occasionally, and you will still reap the rewards. So, make sure that you forgive yourself for those mistakes and don’t dwell on them too much.
