New year, new you?
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to eat healthily, only to discover you’ve scoffed your face with junk? Or perhaps you said you’d butt out your cigarette, only to find the cravings unbearable?
If so, you’re not alone, with studies showing about three quarters of Australians make New Year’s resolutions and Google registering spikes in searches for “quit smoking”, “gym” and “weight loss” in December and January every year.
Despite these good intentions many people’s resolutions will last barely longer than their New Year’s Day hangovers.
If you talk to people in about midJanuary, you will find only a small number are sticking to their resolutions.
Despite this, New Year’s resolutions can be a useful tool to change behaviour, if approached in the right way.
If you really want to make a change then you have to plan it out and think it through fully rather than decide it on a whim.
You need to consider both the positives and negatives of the behaviour you are trying to change.
For example, when you resolve to never drink alcohol again while suffering from a terrible hangover, you are likely only considering the negative effects of drinking and not that going out for a drink with friends can be a lot of fun.
If you don’t consider both sides of the equation you are less likely to stick to your resolution.
Another way to improve your chances is to tell your friends and families about your resolution.
There is a sense of embarrassment about being seen to fail which can be a powerful motivator.
Finally, you should be renewing your resolution on a regular basis and reviewing exactly why you are doing it.
By making a ‘FullYear resolution’ rather than a New Year’s resolution you will be giving yourself your best shot at making the change stick.
