New Years Resolutions - By Markus Giebel

New Years Resolutions

It is indeed alarming—only 4% of all people making new years resolutions are keeping their promise to themselves.

Why is the number so low?

Most of us are going about the business of creating resolutions entirely the wrong way. We are focusing on broad goals and hopes, rather than creating a roadmap for the sustainable actions. An estimated 45% of our actions are controlled by habits. The habit formation can provide a game-changing insight into how to create resolutions that last. Attached are five points which just may help to keep your resolutions:

1. Make it an Action, not a Goal

The number one reason we are unable to keep our resolution, according to Duhigg, is that we are designing them wrong. A resolution saying I will loose 10 kg in 2014 should be restated into the correct individual actions. These actions could be: in 2014 I only will eat deserts once a week and I will go the gym 3 days per week.

2. Set Realistic Actions

Actions which are too ambitious will most of the time lead to frustration. Easy targets can also easier be converted into good habits. It is better to have an increase as you go approach.

3. Create cues and rewards

Every habit has three components: a cue triggering the habit, the action itself and the reward to tell the brain to repeat. So if your resolution is to reduce your weight with a work out routine than the cue could be a time of any given day e.g. 7:00am and the reward could be a nice long hot shower.

4. Anticipate setbacks

Continuing with the weight loss theme it must be anticipated that breaking a diet, increasing your weight (short term) is part of the process.

5. Focus on 1 resolution

A long list will most likely not get you to the promised land. Focus on one goal with realistic actions and do it the right way.