How to Make a Difficult New Year?s Resolution Happen

Posted by Max Walker on January 24th, 2018

Each year, there are New Year’s resolutions made that get abandoned just as quickly as the first week passes by. It is only natural to set a lofty goal, but actually following through on a major resolution that requires a lifestyle change can be very challenging. Some of the most common resolutions are also the hardest things to accomplish, such as:

• Losing weight

• Giving up cigarettes

• Drinking less

• Being a better spouse or parent

• Spending less

• Being more punctual

Any of these goals are achievable, but it can be hard to figure out the best way to attack them. In order to really make a difficult change happen in everyday life, the person in question has to be committed to making a new start. Here are some of the best ways to make a big change happen for the New Year.

Make a New Habit

Many bad habits, like smoking or drinking too much, are borne out of habit. The human body is programmed to recognize routines, so if a person is used to going to the pub after work each day, his or her body will come to expect a drink every day at a given time. By breaking this habit, the body and the mind can come to forget the stimulus and get out of the habit. Replace an old behaviour, like having a cigarette before bed, with a new, healthier one, like doing some simple yoga or stretching before getting ready to turn in.

Enlist a Friend

When trying to make a change, having an ally can make a big difference in how successful a person is. A friend can keep them accountable if they start to backslide, or encourage them after a day of good progress. There are bound to be days when even the most committed person is tempted to cheat on their diet or skip a trip to the gym, but with a friend to text them some encouragement, they might find the energy. Having the enthusiasm and brain power of two people can make the process of making a change much easier.

Get Expert Help

Getting help from an expert does not have to mean spending money visiting a therapist or going to an expensive rehab. It can be as simple as reading more about the topic, learning what the experts in the field say and applying what is learned to increase the likelihood of success. Following a program or seminar that has worked for others in the past can greatly increase a person’s chance of success. It’s all well and good for someone to say that they want to stop drinking so much, but if they have no practical knowledge of how to stop drinking, they are likely to fail.

The most important thing to remember about a New Year’s resolution is that there are a full twelve months left in the year to accomplish the goal. If the first approach does not work, trying another, but do not give up on yourself and your resolution just because one method does not work.