8+1 tips to stick to your goals

Of course, making resolutions is far simpler than keeping them, so by the end of March, many of us had given up and had fallen back into our old habits. Despite having the best of intentions, one of the issues could be that we do not know how to follow our resolutions. So how can we actually make a resolution, and make it a habit?

#1 Aim high: Ambitious objectives are inspiring, as they frequently motivate those around you. Many will support you. Some will be content to offer practical assistance, such as training with you or taking over duties you typically undertake to free up your time.

#2 Break down big goals into manageable steps: Think little now and advance toward your ultimate aim by taking baby steps. Look for guaranteed things to win. Simply reaching first base might give you more self-assurance to take on and complete more challenging undertakings. Don’t belittle simple decisions. Every time you start a plan with “Make list,” you’ll soon cross off one item. As a matter of fact, dividing difficult activities into smaller subtasks can help us finish the simple tasks first.

#3 Recognize the reasons you shouldn’t change: It may be difficult to collect the will to take a hard left toward change until you understand why you are sticking to your old habits and routines. So, whenever you’re thinking of making a change, give it some thought. Your chances of success increase when the ratio of benefits to drawbacks shifts in a way that makes changing behavior more appealing than remaining the same. It also helps to partake in enjoyable components of harmful conduct but not the unhealthy activity itself.

#4 Make a commitment: Make a pledge to someone you don’t want to disappoint in writing or verbally holding yourself accountable. That will motivate you to persevere under trying circumstances.

#5 Give yourself a medal: Don’t wait to declare yourself victorious until you’ve achieved your big goal, that you have always dreamt of achieving for years and years. In fact, improvements are frequently gradual. As you cross off tiny and large steps on the way to a goal, take a moment to celebrate your progress to motivate yourself to keep going. Also ask your loved ones and friends to support you.

#6 Learn from the past: Every time you don’t take action, consider it a step in the right direction. Why? Sincere attempts indicate lessons learned. Consider what worked and what didn’t when you run into trouble. Maybe the challenge you took on was too great? If so, reduce the difficulty or divide the enormous task into smaller pieces.

#7 Express gratitude for your actions: Leave perfection out. For example, instead of focusing on just running the marathon, aim to complete it. You can still achieve your objectives even if sometimes you cannot do as much as you wanted. Anything you do is always preferable to nothing.

#8 Plan for emergencies: Your first inclination might be to give up if you stray even little from your New Year’s resolution. This phenomenon is known as the “What the heck effect.” This is how it appears: You intended to go to bed early every night, but one Friday you couldn’t help but stay up late to watch an additional episode of your favourite series. Your plans to go to bed early after that were abandoned since, “What the hell,” you had already failed.

Fortunately, there is a technique to avoid this outcome. According to research, you can get better success by setting challenging objectives but allowing yourself one or two “get out of jail free” passes each week. Your stretch goal keeps you inspired, and the option to declare a “emergency” rather than just giving up after a mistake keeps you moving forward.

It’s not over, till it’s over

Let’s say New Year’s Day has passed, and by the time you’re reading this, you feel you’ve already failed. The science says you have not. You can start over on any fresh start you choose – next Monday, next month or on your birthday. Or pick any day to start over, and follow these 8 steps to establishing another good habit.

It can be difficult to make changes in your life, but focusing on the negative side will only discourage you. Try not to think about how tired you will feel after a session at the gym, or how much stress it may cause you if you stop smoking. Believe in your goal and try to constantly remind yourself of the benefits and the impact it will have on your life. Focusing on the positives will help you stick to your resolution and make it happen.