As the New Year dawns, we often make new resolutions. Whether exercising, studying, or pursuing hobbies for personal growth, these resolutions frequently end up as short-lived commitments that only last a few days. Why does this happen, and how can we create a plan to ensure our resolutions are not just momentary thoughts? Let’s find out.
Why Can’t We Stick to Our For More Than Three Days?
Many people set New Year’s resolutions, but only a few manage to achieve them. Why can’t most of us stick to our plans beyond three days? It’s mainly because we often ignore reality and assume ideal situations when we set goals. It’s worth reflecting on whether we’re setting unrealistic goals.
A Preparation Phase is Necessary
To avoid short-lived commitments, a preparation phase is necessary. If you rush towards achieving a goal without any plan, you will likely collapse quickly. The most crucial aspect of the preparation phase is your mindset. Willpower and belief aren’t born from mere thoughts; they come from practice. It’s essential to engrave a strong will and faith in your mind.
Setting a Specific Plan
Creating your plan and making it specific is also crucial. For instance, if you’ve decided to read a little every day, it’s good to have detailed content, like setting aside a few minutes to read at a specific time each day. Having a particular plan can help you avoid obstacles and unforeseen situations and induce a sense of guilt if you fail to do what you’ve planned daily.
Setting Achievable Yet Minimized Goals
For instance, if you’re dieting, setting a goal like ‘reducing body fat by 10% in a short period’ might be unattainable. It’s better to approach a feasible level of weight loss by controlling your diet and exercising for at least three months. As you gradually achieve your goals and set additional ones, the probability of reaching more solid results beyond the initial 10% body fat reduction increases.
Understanding the Nature of the Brain
The brain has both the attributes of change and resistance to change. The latter makes it difficult for us to achieve our goals. To leverage these attributes of the brain for change, the objectives we set must be clear. If the goals are unclear, the brain fails to set a direction, causing hesitation and stagnation. Moreover, instead of approaching negatively to achieve objectives, finding a new method and introducing change is more effective for goal achievement.
Habitualizing Step by Step
It’s good to set small, non-burdensome goals to change an existing habit. Maintaining a realistic level that doesn’t cause significant changes in daily life is appropriate. It’s about finding difficulty and intensity only you can achieve and making it a habit. For instance, if you decide to exercise, develop a habit of doing it daily by breaking it down into small time slots, and when increasing the amount of exercise, increase it in small amounts.
Recognize the Change and Reward Yourself
Small successes can have a positive impact on habit formation. Using apps that help in habit formation can also be beneficial. If you’ve changed due to these habits and you’ve recognized it, it’s helpful to reward yourself. You can buy something you’ve always wanted or eat something you’ve craved. Constant self-flagellation can lead to physical and mental fatigue, so it’s good to maintain a long-term habit by giving yourself a suitable reward.
The Method Should Always Be Modifiable
If you’ve set a plan and a goal, don’t be too attached or obsessed with it, and respond flexibly. While it would be great if everything went according to plan, the probability is higher that it won’t. To avoid short-lived commitments, how about evaluating yourself and giving feedback every three days to modify the plan? Changing the plan doesn’t mean you’ve failed to achieve your goal, so don’t fear modifications and develop the ability to respond flexibly.
Speak Positively and Proactively
Did you know that when setting specific action plans, expressing them positively or proactively results in a higher goal achievement rate than saying them negatively or in an avoidance form? The reason for setting goals also helps in achieving goals if it’s based on positive reasons rather than negative ones. For example, instead of saying, “I’m too fat, so I’ll exercise to lose 22 pounds!” a phrase like, “I’ll develop a habit of exercising for health and gradually lose weight to lead a vibrant life” has a much higher goal achievement rate.
Get Help From Those Who Have Already Achieved Their Goals
If you have friends who have already achieved the goals you’ve set, why not hang out with them? Psychologists say that because people tend to align their behavior patterns with those they associate with. It would be even better to ask how they succeeded and get advice. Pursuing similar goals with friends is also good. Sharing goals, giving and receiving advice, and boosting confidence can provide opportunities for self-reflection and increase the chances of success.
By. Shin Young Jeon
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