Willpower Is Overrated — 5 Tips To Stick To Your New Year’s Resolutions
Around this time every year, we see people reflecting on their past and setting goals for the future. Whatever the New Year’s resolution may be, the goal is usually the same: to lose weight, to get healthy, to feel more confident, happier, lighter… the list goes on. These all sound like very positive changes — so why do we often fall short of our resolutions? Research shows that only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals.
We want immediate results which often isn’t realistic because it requires us to maintain a lot of willpower, something we have limited amounts of. Once willpower runs out, we’re back where we started, but often feeling more negative emotions than before: guilt, shame, disappointment. Those negative emotions can perpetuate a vicious cycle of constantly feeling the need to change and improve.
So how can we successfully achieve our New Year’s resolutions?
Research shows that people who are successful in achieving their goals do the following:
- Set “want-to” goals instead of “have-to.” This will lead to fewer temptations and make your goals feel more effortless. If your goal is to get fit, find an activity you enjoy doing instead of something you don’t look forward to.
2. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up! If your goal is to eat healthier and you decide to have a cupcake one day, it’s okay. Don’t let it be an excuse to stop your goal altogether — accept it and move on. Have a salad later in the day or start fresh the next day. Stay positive! Willpower can only get you so far. You need to remember to focus on things that positively drive you toward your goals rather than stop at things that are in your way.
3. Celebrate your small achievements. If your goal is to start your own business, set smaller goals along the way (getting your website up and running, creating business cards, etc). These milestones will make you feel accomplished and satisfied, and will also encourage you to stick to your more long-term goals and desired outcomes.
4. Include it as part of your daily routine. The structure of daily routines helps you avoids self-control decisions altogether, making accomplishing your goals much easier. For instance, if your goal is to meditate, set an alarm on your phone to do it the same time each day and it will quickly turn into a regular part of your daily routine.
5. Create something just for you. Oftentimes when it comes to workouts or diets, we do things that we hear have worked for other people. But remember that you are uniquely yourself and that you are more likely to stick to something that’s been customized for you.
As you work toward your health goals, we know staying motivated can be hard — Thistle is here to help. Our plant-based, nutritionally-designed meals are packed with nutrient-rich superfoods that can help your body lose weight and more importantly, stay healthy. Thistle’s easy-to-use subscription model helps you make healthy eating a habit and a part of your daily routine. It also helps you save time so you can better focus on yourself and your goals. So hang in there and stay on top of your New Year’s resolutions— we’ll do our best to help you achieve them!
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