We’re a few weeks into the year now, and maybe things haven’t gone as you expected. This is one of the big problems with New Year’s resolutions; we seem to think that once that clock strikes midnight and the new year begins that we will be able to control everything and that life won’t throw us curve balls any more. Sadly, this isn’t true and with all our good intentions to crack on with a new year’s resolution, we still can get struck down with a cold or flu, have to deal with the car breaking down or bad days at work, and this can scupper our efforts.
According to research, 41.6% of resolutions fail after just one month, so you’re not alone.
Do not worry though, you know that new year’s resolutions should be a lifestyle change and if you do feel like you have ruined it already, then don’t wait until next year to fix it, it’s not too late, you can pick yourself up and get straight back on it now. The key to success is coming back from those blips stronger than ever, and correcting yourself or getting onto the right path and here’s how you can do it:
Reward Yourself
Think of yourself like a child who needs rewards after every good deed they do and even create a reward chart for yourself so that it will motivate you to reach your goals. Break your resolution down into small goals with small rewards at the end of each one and then finally as your last goal treat yourself to something big, like a holiday you’ve always wanted to go on. Your small rewards don’t have to be expensive, or they could be if you wanted them to be, it’s really up to you on what will motivate you. It could be that you treat yourself to a new dress when you reach a certain weight, you could treat yourself to some new gym clothes once you have achieved a specific time at the gym or you could get yourself some new eyeglass lenses once you have finished the book you’ve had on your nightstand for ages.
Revisit Your Resolution
If you’ve lost track or lost interest in your new year's resolution so soon, then perhaps you need to revisit what you’re actually trying to achieve and what you need to do? Was the goal something you wanted to begin with? Did you set it for the right reason? Did you decide to do this for yourself or someone else? If you don’t believe in your personal or professional goals, then they will be much harder to achieve.
Know Your "Why"
It’s essential that you know ‘why’ you’re doing something, and you keep that in mind. For example, if your new year's resolution was to start online dating, then keep in mind what you are doing it for. Do you want to meet a partner? Settle down and have kids? Or are you doing it because you’re sick of people going on about you being single? If your resolution was to cut down on drink, are you doing it for your health or to save money or because someone else commented that you drink too much? Make sure you know the reason why you are doing something and keep the end goal in mind when things get tough.
Remember That Failure Is Part Of The Process
So, you’ve decided to learn to play the piano this year, and you’re struggling, the worst thing you can do is to give up. You’ve had a great start to your diet, and then you’ve fallen off the wagon? Don’t give up. Anyone who has ever achieved anything has failed a number of times before; you need to accept that failure as part of the process and don’t expect perfection. Give yourself a break, don’t put too much pressure on yourself and realise that the changes in your behaviour that you have made is progress and that should be rewarded itself.
Find a Buddy
Having someone to go through the journey with you can really help you to stay on track. If you know someone who wants to achieve the same goal as you, whether it’s to learn to dance or quit smoking, if you do it together and help each other, it can really help. Even if you have done really well for the first few weeks of the year, it is around this time where people begin to struggle, and social support is so important and has the power to give you your strength back. If you don’t know anyone trying to achieve the same goal as yourself, then have a look for
Facebook support groups as there will likely be someone out there who is doing the same as you and they don’t even have to be in the same country. Facebook groups can provide a significant amount of support, as you get to see other people’s real success stories but also it is a place where you can vent when you’ve had a bad day, you can ask for advice from others, and you can see from other’s posts that you are not on your own.
Change Your Environment
Whatever it is that has triggered your resolution lapse, it could have been a person, a place or a bad habit - you need to be aware of it. Try to avoid any triggers and replace them with situations or people or things that will help you stick to your resolution. While you don’t have to cut these triggers out of your life forever, you do need to initially, and then you can introduce them back into your life slowly when your new habit is more of a fixture in your life.
Remember, there are 365 days, 52 weeks or twelve months in the year, so if you can achieve a little something each day, or week or month then it’s a step in the right direction and once the year is over, you may find that you have achieved more than you ever thought you could.
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