3 things you need to make your goals stick this year

By Sophie Scott

The start of a new year is a great time to set some achievable goals.

To really succeed, here are 3 things you need to make your goals stick.

Focus on consistency over intensity

This is crucial because repetition, doing the same thing over and over, creates new neural connections.

Think of the brain like a forest.

Doing the same thing over and over is like creating a new pathway in the forest. It makes it easier to find your way the next time.

And research shows that small actions done consistently can actually bring the biggest reward.

One recent study found doing a small amount of regular weight training was more effective than doing one massive session, even if the amount of exercise overall was the same.

Researchers found if you did a small amount of resistance training over 5 days - you boosted your muscle strength by more than 10 per cent.

Source: exercise study Yoshida 2022?Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports

Overcome all or nothing thinking?

Black and white thinking traps you where you are now and leaves little room for growth.

Instead, with kindness to yourself, recognise even a small amount of doing something is better than nothing at all.

So if your goal is meditation, even doing 10 minutes of deep breathing every morning is a good start.

Imperfect action is better than no action.

So let go of perfectionism and acknowledge that small actions done consistently can actually add up to big changes.

Who are your influences?

Some experts will tell you you are the product of the 5 people you spend most time with.

That’s sort of correct but it’s much more nuanced than that.

In fact, research shows you are impacted not only by your close family and friends but by their associates as well.

Social scientists Nick Christakis and James Fowler looked at the profound influence our social networks have on us.

https://lnkd.in/gxkjfQPi

They found if you have friends and family who are obese, you are 45 % more likely to gain weight in 2-4 years and if friends of your friends are obese, you are 10 % more likely to gain weight.

You can’t be what you can’t see.

So find role models either in real life or in the digital world who are examples of what you want to become.

This creates a positive feedback loop when you regularly see people practising behaviours that you want in your own life.

If you are interested in more resources on motivation, habits and mental health, pop over to?www.sophiescott.com.au ?or?https://lnkd.in/gJxNX4a

What is your main goal for this year? Let me know in the comments.

Take care,

Soph x?

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