Realbusiness.co.uk recently asked me for tips on how to stick to your New Year resolutions!
66% of Brits made a resolution to turn over a new leaf.
As with previous years, our highest area of focus is health. Some 35% of YouGov Poll respondents say they want to lose weight, while 33% want to get fitter.
Also, 31% want to eat a healthier diet and 12% of people are committing to a healthier work/life balance.
These are great intentions but how many of us will actually follow through and feed our feel-good factor? The 21st January has been coined Quitters Day – the most likely date your great intentions will fall by the wayside.
It is reported that a measly 8% of NY resolutions will actually be achieved.
These figures are pretty stark for 92% of people, but here are five tips which can ensure you keep up the momentum and end the year as one of the 8% of achievers!
1) Current science says it takes 66 days to build a new habit. Count the days down on a chuff chart. Visual imagery of your progress can provide great motivation and build momentum your future self will be chuffed with.
2) Take two minutes, three times a day. Visualise yourself acting out the new behaviour you’ve committed to. How do you think, feel and look as the new you? The more senses you step into as the ‘new you’ persona, the faster the ‘new you’ will emerge. This is one of the most underutilised but most powerful exercises in the coaching toolbox!
3) Plan, prepare and practice ahead of time. Remember building a new habit requires paying attention to the decisions you’re making on a minute to minute basis. Without planning and prep you’re greatly increasing your chances of failure. Stay present, when you take your eye off the ball, old habits will seize their opportunity for victory!
4) Remind yourself several times a day of WHY you are choosing this new behaviour. How will it benefit you? Go through every area of your life to seek the wins. If your work life balance improves, how will your health, love life, relationships, feel-good factor be impacted? What are the specific benefits of having that extra time?
5) Your mind works on a pain vs reward basis. Ensure you are ‘bigging up’ the benefits of your new behaviour on a daily basis. Keep reminding yourself how good it feels to be this new you. Sure, you might not get that chocolate bar your sugar addiction is craving but focus on the feeling of having great self-discipline, fitting into your clothes easily and be proud of your choices.
When it comes to resolutions one thing’s for sure. Whatever you decide, take care never to beat yourself up for wobbles and failures, it simply makes things worse.
Own your choices, change them if they’re not in line with who you want to be. No self-attack, simply acknowledge your slip up and own your power!
Happy 2019.
Please see below for the link to the full article on Realbusiness.co.uk:
