If you’re feeling glum at the prospect of going back to a boring job, your regular routine and colder days on the horizon, you may find yourself in need of opening up the windows and letting in some metaphorical air by setting some ambitious goals for 2016. Good for you. So what’s the problem?
Sadly, less than one in ten people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions, so if you’re like the 92% of the population who kick-start new plans and projects in January and then abandon them later on in the year, then it’s time to wise up. Stop writing down the same empty promises every year and start setting some New Year’s resolutions that you’ll actually keep.
What Were The Most Common New Year’s Resolutions in 2015?
Why Do These Perfectly Good New Year’s Resolutions Fail?
Take a look at the list above and you’ll probably notice that they all have something in common. All of the resolutions written above are, first of all, very ambitious, and secondly, hard to quantify. Setting goals that are vague or unrealistic means that when we fail to see results quickly we tend to pull the plug.
How to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions in 2016
When you say “help others” – define who you want to help and how. Whether it’s your next-door neighbour with limited mobility or child soldiers in Sierra Leone, once you have your target in mind, you can start going to the supermarket once a week or organising a sponsored fun run.
The same applies to “learn something new”. Think about what it is you would like to learn, from a new language to a healthier way of living. Quantifying your goals will make them much more obtainable and breaking challenges down into bite-sized pieces will make them easier to swallow.
Finally, learn to visualise your goals, as this will make them appear more real and, therefore more obtainable. If you want to “stay fit and healthy” then picture yourself at your ideal weight. Look at photos of yourself when you were at the weight you’d like to be, or when you took more time to take care of your diet. With a little bit of willpower and a realistic approach you can set resolutions that you’ll actually keep.