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A RECENT study by psychologist Bas Verplanken and his team at Bath University identified the top three New Year's resolutions made each year globally:

1. Living healthier … 23%
2. Personal improvement or maintaining happiness – 21%
3. Losing weight … 20%

However, 91% of people do not keep their resolutions. Gyms are often crowded in January, but attendance drops by April. Many people do not maintain their resolutions for even six months. 

Why do resolutions fail?

1. Resolutions must be realistic, beginning with a clear understanding of our goals. Specific objectives are more achievable.

2. The words ‘never’ and ‘always’ often undermine resolutions by creating rigid expectations. Instead, allow flexibility in your approach. Consider statements like, “I want to experiment,” or “I am learning what works best for me.”

Using ‘never’ and ‘always’ can lead to unnecessary guilt if a resolution is broken. Remember, setbacks are temporary, and there are always new opportunities to try again.

3. One of the most powerful ways we can cut into our resolutions is by stacking them up with other, more common and unavoidable habits we have already formed. On a stack, there is something very interesting: all stacks are ‘last in, first out’… when we create an algorithm for sorting in a computer language, we best understand that. When we stack a not-so-interesting resolution upon an inevitable habit, we will be forced to proceed with the not-so-interesting resolution first, and then with the one we like. So, there will be a forcing that makes us do or work out on time what we like to delay. For example, if you want to run a marathon and prove yourself to be a champ, then you have to stay fit for the event. So, if we stack our wish to run the marathon under our aim to stay fit, it works best. We got to first stay fit, and then run a marathon! That's habit stacking!

I learned about habit stacking from ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, who offers valuable insights on building lasting habits.

4. I have found that giving room for the fact that we may break a resolution is the best manner of keeping it. Give room for relapse. If we slip off a resolution, the most helpful response is curiosity rather than condemnation or criticism. Self-criticism is less effective than curiosity. Lean why and where we have slipped. And, instead of waiting for the next week to start all over, or the next month to start it all at the beginning, start the very next day. It’s ok if our tainer is on leave or if our gym lycra hasn’t reached us and is in transit. Wear the best possible dress and try to push with whatever our trainer has taught us so far. It is best not to idle away the day without accomplishing what our resolutions have called us to.

5. The easiest and often ignored aspect in making a New Year's resolution is not making it a positive thought. If our resolutions are positive, we tend to follow them. If our investments  are profitable, we tend to invest more. If our seeding resolutions bring happiness, then we have to grow them. 

Life offers many choices, and positive decisions should outweigh negative ones.

6. Motivation helps us to go forward. It is important to couple our resolutions with  stories that motivate us. Though stories themselves may not always be replicable, they help us to show that we can remain optimistic about achieving our resolutions if we put in effort. 

Let's get going into the HAPPY NEW YEAR !