For many, a new year comes with new resolutions. People promise to better themselves with the intention of make their resolutions a habitual reality. Losing weight, eating healthier food and saving money and just some of the common goals people set to kick-start their new year.
Freshman elementary and special education major Raechel Aviles makes new resolutions at the beginning of each year.
“I made a resolution for 2019 because when I was doing my yearly reflections, I saw how my 2018 could’ve been way better for myself, and I wanted to actually make the change this year,” Aviles said.
Aviles’ new year’s resolutions for 2019 include waking up at 5 a.m. every day, going to the gym twice a day, staying proactive with her school work and spending time with her friends.
While estimates vary, research has found that about 80 percent of people fail to continue their resolution my mid-February. As January comes to an end, it can be difficult to be consistently motivated to reach your goal.
“Saying you are going to do something is different than actually doing it,” Dr. Melissa Terlecki, chair of the psychology department, said. “If your goals are measurable, attainable and reasonable, you are more likely to do it.”
Here are a few tips to keep your new year’s resolution on track:
Set small goals
Setting small goals makes the take seem more achievable. If the goal is too big, it can seem almost impossible to reach. By breaking down big goals, each achievement is a milestone to the long-term goal.
Make yourself accountable
Accountability can be the main reason that people do not pursue their new year’s resolutions. If people do not hold themselves accountable for their deterring actions, they will not accomplish their goals. Writing your goals down or having a friend to complete this task with can make someone feel more liable to stick with their plan.
Aviles has created a method to hold herself accountable to stick to her 2019 resolution.
“I made a plan that if I did not stick to my resolutions even for a day, I would put $5 in a jar for each resolution that I broke that day,” Aviles said. “In college, its especially hard to always have cash, which would mean I would have to go to the ATM and take out more money than needed. That is a great motivation because I don’t want to keep taking out money.”
Make it a habit
Making your resolution a part of your daily routine will make the task feel natural and less like a chore. Consistency is a good way to create a habit. By embedding your resolution into your schedule, you are more likely to stick to it, According to one study, missing one day does not reduce the chance of forming a habit, so do not beat yourself up for missing a day.
“If something is practiced often enough, it becomes implicit. You don’t even think about it and it becomes routine,” Terlecki said.
You don’t have to wait until Jan. 1, 2020 to kick-start your next goal. The new year may symbolize new beginning but creating goals to better your lifestyle will always be worth the resolution.
“If people can break their resolutions apart into more manageable bites, they would be more likely to get to the end result,” Terlecki said.
