Trying to come up with a New Year’s resolution? In a recent study published in the University of Scranton Journal of Psychology, less than 50% of the people surveyed stuck to their New Year’s resolutions for more than six months. However, the most drop-off occurred in the first month, and those who made it to February were far more likely to persevere.
So how do you make your resolution stick during that pivotal first month? One strategy is to change the way that you think about New Year’s resolutions. “Losing ten pounds” might seem like a reasonable goal, but it can leave you unsure where to begin. Think instead about substituting the donut in the break room with some Greek yogurt or limiting dessert to weekends instead of every day. In the same vein, the ever popular “exercise more” is incredibly vague and easily overlooked during the dreary winter months, and “manage stress” will leave you stressed out about forgetting to manage your stress.
Instead, vow to begin the day with a fifteen-minute yoga video or take a half-hour to read for pleasure before bed each night. Small changes are much easier to fit into a busy schedule, and they won’t leave you feeling like a failure come February. Eventually, they will be become habit, and, as we all know, old habits die hard.
Want to see what others are resolving to do in 2013? Check out Google’s Zeitgeist 2012 here! You can input your 2013 resolution in the map and see what other people are saying. Remember that little, everyday changes can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
So how do you make your resolution stick during that pivotal first month? One strategy is to change the way that you think about New Year’s resolutions. “Losing ten pounds” might seem like a reasonable goal, but it can leave you unsure where to begin. Think instead about substituting the donut in the break room with some Greek yogurt or limiting dessert to weekends instead of every day. In the same vein, the ever popular “exercise more” is incredibly vague and easily overlooked during the dreary winter months, and “manage stress” will leave you stressed out about forgetting to manage your stress.
Instead, vow to begin the day with a fifteen-minute yoga video or take a half-hour to read for pleasure before bed each night. Small changes are much easier to fit into a busy schedule, and they won’t leave you feeling like a failure come February. Eventually, they will be become habit, and, as we all know, old habits die hard.
Want to see what others are resolving to do in 2013? Check out Google’s Zeitgeist 2012 here! You can input your 2013 resolution in the map and see what other people are saying. Remember that little, everyday changes can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
RSS Feed