CLOSE SEARCHNew Year’s Resolutions: How to Make and Keep Them?
We’ve all heard of New Year’s resolutions, which involve setting personal and professional goals for the coming year, but many people struggle to keep them and hold themselves accountable. It has always been a motivational ritual that most people follow on a yearly basis, either at the end of December to start the new year with a clean slate or at the beginning of January.
You’ve probably set self-improvement goals for yourself, but have you been able to stick to them for more than a week? Let’s go over this further.
Why Do People Make New Year’s Resolutions?
When we make New Year’s resolutions, we are utilizing a fundamental concept known as self-efficacy [1], which means that we have a sense of control over what is happening in our lives by aspiring to a goal and following through on it.
The New Year provides a blank slate and an opportunity to start over from scratch and New Year’s resolutions have that fresh-start effect that people tend to seek after the holidays.
Setting goals for the coming year is important because it can help you organize and gain a clear vision of your to-do or “to-achieve” list throughout the year, whether you want to build your own brand or break a bad habit.
How Do You Stick to Your New Year’s resolutions?
Many people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions. One study found that while 77% of people kept their New Year’s resolutions for a week, only 19% kept them for two years. Furthermore, 53% of those who kept their resolutions admitted to slipping at least once because of a lack of personal control, excessive stress, and negative emotions [2].
Another research showed that most people are predicted to give up their new year’s resolutions by January 19th, also called “Quitter’s Day” [3].
Here’s how to stay on track with your personal goals throughout the year and avoid becoming a “Quitter’s Day” victim.
Be consistent
Consistency is key!
The majority of resolutions focus on developing new habits or changing old ones. As a result, they must be repeated in order to be effective, so consider making them visible, such as by setting an alarm or a notification to remind yourself of the activity or habit you’d like to adopt [4].
Choose realistic and attainable goals
Dr. Susan Weinschenk, author of the book How To Get People To Do Stuff, believes that setting small, attainable goals rather than large, ambiguous ones is critical. Also, you can break your goal down into smaller milestones to make it more realistic and visible. So instead of “Get more exercise”, choose “Walk for 20 minutes at least four times a week” and try to increase the difficulty of your exercise each time.
She also claims that anchoring a new habit into an existing one makes it easier to form [5].
Hold yourself accountable
A 2012 study conducted by Leeds University discovered that teaming up or planning with someone may increase the likelihood of sticking to resolutions [6]. So try it with a friend or family member, and hold each other accountable by checking in on each other every now and then. Additionally, now that you’ve made your goal public by sharing it with a friend, you might feel a sense of obligation and accountability to follow through with it [7].
Contrary to popular belief, guilt is often more powerful than self-motivation. The end result is that when you succeed, the people you shared it with will celebrate with you!
3 New Year’s Resolutions to have this year
- Adopt Healthy Physical and Mental Habits
Regular physical activity might boost our self-esteem while also lowering stress and anxiety. It helps to prevent the onset of mental health problems and to improve the quality of life for people who are suffering from them [8].
Mental well-being does not imply constant happiness, nor does it exclude the possibility of experiencing negative or painful emotions, such as grief, loss, or failure, as part of everyday life. Physical activity, regardless of age, might help you live a mentally healthier life and improve your overall well-being [8].
- Choose a Sustainable Lifestyle
Our planet can only produce a finite amount of resources – from food to water – and can only tolerate a certain level of greenhouse gas emissions in order to remain healthy. We only have one planet and are completely reliant on it for our survival and well-being [9].
At MAIANA, we carefully select environmentally friendly brands that promote sustainable living and consumption such as Seggiano, English Tea Shop, and Clearspring. They help to preserve biodiversity and food quality while also attempting to provide nutritional benefits.
- You Only Have One Body and Soul: Treat Them Well
Although you may feel powerless in the face of everyday stress, there are ways to cope and stay as healthy as possible.
Apart from exercising, eating well is also important for many reasons, but did you know it can also have a mental impact? Eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods improves your overall well-being while decreasing anxiety and stress [10]. Try adding Clearspring Organic Tamari Roasted Pumpkin Seeds to your smoothies and salads. These lightly coated in organic tamari seeds are a great addition to any diet as they are antioxidants-rich and a great source of vitamin K and manganese.
Get plenty of sleep and treat yourself and your skin as best as you can. Indeed, sleeping well is essential for allowing your body to rest and your mind to reset [10]. If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, try checking out our great range of the best foods and drinks for a Good Night’s Sleep. Additionally, developing a skincare routine will help you feel more mindful. It facilitates being present in the present moment, even if only once or twice a day [11]. MAIANA now sells different skincare products such as Weleda – Organic Wild Rose Smoothing Face Night Cream, which will help you pamper yourself before bed and keep your skin looking refreshed and radiant.
Overall, New Year’s resolutions should be personal goals that you want to achieve and skills and habits that you want to improve. For better results, maintain consistency, hold yourself accountable, and always prioritize your physical and mental health.
References
[1] Carey, Michael P., and Andrew D. Forsyth. “Self-Efficacy Teaching Tip Sheet.” American Psychological Association, 2009, www.apa.org/pi/aids/resources/education/self-efficacy.
[2] Norcross, John C., and Dominic J. Vangarelli. “The Resolution Solution: Longitudinal Examination of New Year’s Change Attempts.” Journal of Substance Abuse, vol. 1, no. 2, Jan. 1988, pp. 127–134, 10.1016/s0899-3289(88)80016-6. Accessed 11 Dec. 2019.
[3] Best, Shivali. “Day That People Most Likely to Give up New Year’s Resolutions – and It’s Soon.” Mirror, 2 Jan. 2020, www.mirror.co.uk/science/day-people-most-likely-give-21199904. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
[4] “Why New Year’s Resolutions Are Important (Especially for 2021).” Celtic English Academy, www.celticenglish.co.uk/blog/why-new-years-resolutions-are-important-especially-for-2021/. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
[5] Daniel. “Dr Susan Weinschenk – How to Get People to Do Stuff {Book Review}.” Daniel Karim, 13 Aug. 2019, danielkarim.com/dr-susan-weinschenk-how-to-get-people-to-do-stuff-book-review/. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
[6] “If You Plan, Then You’ll Do… But It Helps to Have a Friend.” Www.myscience.uk, 2012, www.myscience.uk/news/wire/if_you_plan_then_you_ll_do_but_it_helps_to_have_a_friend-2012-leeds. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
[7] “Top 10 Most Common New Year’s Resolutions (and How to Follow through on Them).” GoSkills.com, www.goskills.com/Soft-Skills/Resources/Top-10-new-years-resolutions.
[8] Mental health foundation. “How to Look after Your Mental Health Using Exercise.” Www.mentalhealth.org.uk, 2022, www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-look-after-your-mental-health-using-exercise.
[9] “Promoting Sustainable Living.” WWF, www.wwf.org.uk/what-we-do/promoting-sustainable-living.
[10] “5 Habits to Help Improve Your Mental Health: Carolina Wellness Psychiatry, PLLC: Psychiatrists.” Www.carolinawellnesspsychiatry.com, www.carolinawellnesspsychiatry.com/blog/5-habits-to-help-improve-your-mental-health.
[11] “The Therapy You Need May Not Be Verbal – Skin Care Can Help.” Psychreg, 20 Apr. 2021, www.psychreg.org/therapy-skincare/.
