Committing to New Years Resolutions
With 2023 just a few hours away, it's about time to start making New Year resolutions. A good majority of lists will include exercising more, eating healthier, spending less/saving more and things such as taking trips or learning new skills. It’s easy to commit during the first week of the year, evident by how many new people are in the gym or grocery store.
But let's be honest. Sometimes this doesn't last and it's easy to forget about the resolutions we said we would follow. The New Year gives us energy to start something new, but successful habits are built by continuously doing things without interruption. So in the spirit of the New Year, here are a few tips for staying committed to your resolutions:
Set achievable goals
Part of fully committing to a task is setting realistic and detailed goals that can be achieved. Writing your goal down with no game plan of how to get there can discourage you from working at it and can waste time. Break down your goals into smaller milestones and create a plan of action on how to complete each one.
Stay focused
With a sound game plan you can work towards your goal, but only if you stay focused. When you set out to do something, it's important to actually work towards it and not include other new goals at the same time. Our brains are excellent at committing to a task and finishing it, but struggle with complex multi-tasking. When we give our mind too many tasks, we risk developing ‘scope creep’, where we start with one goal and include smaller peripheral goals that we think are manageable. Eventually our focus is spread too thin and no progress can be made until we go back to the drawing board.
Record your progress
It can be difficult to see progress in long term goals even if they are well defined. When the task is right in your face, things may seem like they are slowly coming along. Recording progress helps to keep motivation levels high. Take pictures, videos, write, and test yourself in whatever you are working towards. When you compare where you are now versus where you were before, the difference will keep you motivated.
Step out of your comfort zone
Humans have the uncanny ability to almost automatically adjust to new situations, given the opportunity. The complexity of our brains give us this ability, and allow us to do some pretty neat things. The biggest positive is that most of our exponential growth with new skills happens in these unexpected situations. Every once in a while, allow yourself to step out of your comfort zone, trusting your brain to close the gap.
Have accountability
One half of creating new habits is starting them, the other is staying accountable. It helps to have an accountability partner, especially if they are doing the same thing as you. Accountability helps to put things in perspective and keep you on your toes. If you cannot find a partner, develop a way to test yourself periodically. This will show if you are progressing or not.
Speak in present terms
The last and most important tip is to speak in present terms. Speaking in present terms, also known as manifestation, puts you in your future self’s shoes. Here is an example:
“I am doing” vs “I do”
The latter statement will help to boost confidence in yourself and your ability. Manifestation helps to actualize your goals and live in them as if they are completed, rather than something you constantly chase but never reach.
Happy New Years, Vitamea
