9-Step Kick-butt Guide: How to Make Your 2018 New Year’s Resolution and How to Make Them Stick Like Glue

2018’s Top New Year’s Resolutions

2018 is here and I bet, a lot of you already made a list of your New Year’s resolution for this year. YouGov surveyed people online for their New Year’s resolution. Of the sample tested, only 32% declined meaning most people still plan they goals for the next year.

On top of the survey results (drum roll please) are: Eat better, Exercise more, and Spend less money all tied at number one with 37% of the respondent.

Obviously, better health is the top priority again this year followed by surprisingly relationship-centric goals.

Here are the rest of the resolutions revealed in the survey:

Self-care (e.g. getting more sleep) — 24 percent

Read more books — 18 percent

Learn a new skill — 15 percent

Get a new job — 14 percent

Make new friends — 13 percent

New hobby — 13 percent

Focus more on appearance — 12 percent

Focus on relationship — 12 percent

Cut down on cigarettes/alcohol — 9 percent

Go on more dates — 7 percent

Focus less on appearance — 3 percent

Bound to Fail

These are great resolutions but the sad truth is 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail as early as February. So the question is, what prevents us from fulfilling our resolutions? Why do we fail every time? Many say it’s complicated but the simplest answer is lack of self-discipline.

Self-discipline is not an inherent instinct at birth. We build self-discipline by subjecting ourselves to the discomfort of changing our nature through. We build self-discipline one challenge at a time. One challenge is hard enough much more a list of them. It’s no wonder we lose every time. We set ourselves to lose by listing so many resolutions we know we can’t do.

Timing. Why do we have to wait for January 1 to set our resolutions? Are our mind and bodies more prepared for the 1st day of the year? The start of the year is a good time to start. But, If you want to change for the better, you don’t need to wait for January 1. You can start NOW.

Burn out. Filipinos have an expression “Ningas Cogon”. Cogon (Imperata cylindrica) is a tall-bladed grass that is super combustible when dry and ningas means flame. Cogon grass is so combustible that it can spread fast and furious but dies down as fast as it burns. During the start, we try so hard we may get hurt or suffer injuries. After weeks of the same cycle, it will start to feel less important until the motivation dies down. Your cogon grass burned out.

So what can we do to help ourselves fulfill our New Year’s Resolutions?

1. SMART KISS. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to make your goals simple, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Treat your resolutions as plans or goals that you can track and measure over time. For every goal, you can list small steps you need to achieve them. Taking small steps towards your goal is far more effective than having a simple list on a wall.

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2. Focus on a single but multi-linked goal. Be realistic. New Year’s resolutions are not yo’ momma contests. You do not compete with others on who can have the longest list or who have the most bad ass resolutions. Your New Year’s resolutions are goals you set for yourself to achieve in a year. The more you put in it, the higher the probability you will lose interest by the middle of the year. Instead, focus on single but multi-linked-goal. A multi-linked goal is a plan that includes achieving sub-goals to fulfill. A good example of a multi-linked goal is joining a triathlon. You can link this to running, swimming, and biking more and losing weight.

3. Motivation. Why do you really set these resolutions? What’s in it for you? Motivation is your fuel, your driving force. You will lose interest if you are not clear about your motivations. Without clarity, it’s easy to give up during the hard moments. An effective motivation would be preventing heart disease and obesity-related diseases. The benefits of exercising and losing weight far outweighs medical and hospital bills. Having good health also improves general well being. Nice motivation for getting more exercise right?

4. Make time. Here is where most people get defeated. We are guilty of poor prioritization. Most of the time, our excuse for not doing our resolution is not having the time. And yet, we have time doing the fun stuff like shopping, binge watching and playing video games. For health-exercise-related goals, the best time depends on your productive cycle. Pick a time you can adhere to so it becomes a regular habit.

5. Measure Achievements. Create a timeline or milestone with target dates if possible. These are the small steps to you take to get to your goal. Record every achievement. When we achieve small amounts of success, our brains release dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that affects emotions, pleasure, and pain. When we feel the effects of dopamine, we want to repeat the actions that triggered its release.

6. Remind yourself. Sometimes you will slip up and fail to do what you planned. This is natural, no plan is perfect. To get you back on track you need to remind yourself of your goal. Place your timeline or checklist in a conspicuous location where you can see it every day. This will remind you how far you have gone and how near you are to your goals.

7. Get a buddy or join a group. Join a group or find a buddy with similar goals. You now have the advantage of having other people motivate you to achieve your goals. In return, you also keep each other in check and motivated. Sharing the burden makes it easier for everyone to bear the challenges.

8. Share your experiences. Share your experiences with others through social media. This is also a way of documenting your progress and a way to motivate others. Write about the challenges and how you overcame them. Somewhere out there is someone facing the same challenges as you are. You can be their inspiration for overcoming challenges.

9. Reward yourself. Aside from feeling good every time you achieve a milestone, reward yourself. Keep motivating yourself by providing positive reinforcement for every small success.

Good luck with our New Year’s Resolutions

Be it better health or financial success, the right planning and execution will help you achieve your goals for 2018. This is my template for this year. You are welcome to use it too. Let me know if it worked for you.

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