It’s the time of year to start hearing the all too familiar sayings: “New year, new me!” “It takes 21 days to form a new habit!” “365 chances for a new beginning!” “I’m not changing. Expect the same delightful mess I was last year.”
Most of us looked back on 2021 and resolved to make a change in our life for the New Year. Here are the top 10 New Year’s resolutions for 2022, according to Countryliving.com
- Lose weight
- Eat healthier or change diet
- Get fitter and take more exercise
- Spend more time with family and friends
- Be more aware and take care of mental health
- Sort out finances and cut back spending
- Travel more
- Take up a new hobby, sport or other interest
- Be more environmentally friendly
- Look for a new job
Only about 8% of the people who make a resolution actually follow through with it. So what can you do to try to not be the “same delightful mess you were last year”?
- Verbalize your resolution. Those who actually state their goals to another person are ten times more likely to achieve them.
- Write down your goal…and then give yourself realistic steps you can take to achieve it. This means you can’t just write a vague statement like “Save money”. Ideas like “Make a meal plan, eat out less, create a budget” need to get added to the plan.
- Give yourself something to look forward to. You can give yourself small rewards to keep yourself motivated like “If I work out 3 times this week, I will treat myself to a new book, or big rewards once you achieve your ultimate goal like “Once I hit my desired weight, I will reward myself with those sunglasses I have been looking at.”
- Go beyond relying on yourself to motivate you, and get an accountability partner. Tell your partner what your goals are and discuss your ideas to help achieve them. Don’t forget to tell them WHY you want to achieve these goals, too. Each week, talk with your partner about what you plan to do for the upcoming week and what you have accomplished the week before. If you are starting to lose traction, your partner can remind you of why you set your goals in the first place and encourage you to keep going.