Statistically, approximately 80% of people who make resolutions entering the new year will not stick to their ambitions. Sound familiar? Resist setting unrealistic goals, putting too much pressure on yourself, or incorporating too many restrictions, one thing is for sure, sticking to your resolutions and changing your habits can be difficult.
Sure, any reason mentioned above is motivational buzz, but what if sticking to your resolutions comes down to the purpose behind them?
Here’s a fresh perspective on how value-driven goals and goals can turn your resolutions into lasting habits you enjoy throughout life!
Tie your resolutions to something you care about
The ability to make lasting changes (habits) is deeper than the need for six-pack abs. Sure, losing weight and feeling strong is great, but often the reason resolutions like these don’t stick is because they’re not tied to something you care about. really at heart; something of value and virtue.
Justin Roethlingshoeferfounder of Own, a digital platform that allows coaches to turn their athletes’ wearable data into meaningful performance and recovery gains, explains, “Link weight loss to the value of family and the desire to be able to participate in activities with your children and grandchildren – now you have something lasting.”
These are not necessarily unattainable goals, we just need to make them useful. “Link action to a value and virtue so deeply rooted that it drives motivation,” says Roethlingshoefer. It not only helps us form new habits, but those habits have meaning that makes the process of achieving goals more enjoyable and lasting.
When we aim for a goal, whether it’s unachievable or not, wherever we come to reach that goal, it’s a false peak, which means there’s always something to accomplish next, and that can be extremely demotivating. Fortunately, there is a way to combat this. “If we change the mindset in which we start to achieve this goal and tie it to something we enjoy, these elements become habits that no longer become just one or more months, but instincts that create life changing,” he added. .
Use visualization: the good and the bad
When you visualize the positive outcome of your goal setting (which is tied to something of value and virtue) and can be very clear about the outcome, you have just unlocked one of the greatest keys to success. “This process creates hormonal changes (serotonin and dopamine) that result in positive action for us to begin,” says Roethlingshoefer. However, visualizing failure also plays its part in staying the course.
He continues, “Once we’ve started, the way to maintain motivation is to visualize the consequences of failure.” Again, this changes the way our hormones interact and keeps motivation engaged and consistent.
Set up a time frame to ensure that habits stick
Believe it or not, the first six hours of your day are essential for your new habits to last a lifetime. Simply put, time bracketing is dividing your day into 3 or 4 parts: 0-6 hours after waking up, 6-12 hours after waking up, 12-18 hours after waking up, and 18-24.
When trying to initiate a new habit, it should be placed somewhere within the first six hours of the day. “This is when our limbic friction or resistance to action is easiest to overcome, which leads to success in action, explains Roethlingshoefer. This helps explain why ambitions tend to dwindle over time. course of the day.
For example, do not skimp on the most important hours of the day that create habituation!
Try Habit Stacking
Habit stacking (also called habit chaining) is basically training your brain to create new habits within your current routine. Essentially, habit stacking is piggybacking a new habit onto a pre-existing habit. For example, if you regularly drink a cup of coffee every morning, you can add a new habit, such as eating a healthy breakfast or doing 20 push-ups.
This strategy works by eliminating procrastination and creating new habits. Roethlingshoefer breaks it down: “When you wake up to your alarm and don’t press snooze, you get up and immediately go into gratitude; You’re then led straight to exercise, which leads to feeling energized, which leads to a good breakfast, which leads to less caffeine, which leads to a quality lunch” and so on. Create a domino effect of positive actions throughout your day that eventually become healthy habits. Don’t give up in February!
Track your fitness
Fitness trackers like WHOOP and platforms like Own It, can help you stay on track because what gets measured, whether it’s sleep or stress, gets managed; and what is managed is optimized. This means that any area of your health that is tracked and monitored can be improved, which is essential for longevity and maintaining a healthy routine. “Our health is one of the greatest assets we have, so managing it is no longer going to the doctor once a year or just subjectively asking, how am I feeling?” said Roethlingshoefer. Having the ability to track important aspects of your health at your fingertips is the way of the future.
Creating a goal with a purpose behind it and taking the necessary daily steps that will allow strong habits to form is a surefire way to frustrate your January resolutions; even if you start again in February.
Additional Focus Boosting Actions for Success:
- Phone a friend: Having a responsible partner to check in with helps limit procrastination and helps with encouragement.
- Use focus-promoting supplements: Clean eating is great for the mind, but adding supplements like Roman Focus which support calm energy, mental acuity and aids in concentration as another level of support when trying to form new habits.
- Write it down: Taking notes on your journey, whether it’s the progress you’ve made or just how you’re feeling along the way, will help motivate you and allow you to refocus when needed.
