3 ways to restart your resolutions
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Only a few weeks into January, and most people have already thrown in the towel on their resolutions. But Katy Milkman, professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and author of How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be says there’s an art to making a resolution that sticks. Here are three ways to reframe your goals and see them through.
Make them bite-size
If you want to run a half marathon in 2024, boost your social connections, or start volunteering—great! But if you haven’t mapped out how you will get there, it’s less likely you can achieve those goals. “Make sure resolutions are broken down into bite-size, approachable daily, or weekly actions,” Milkman says.? Milkman, who collaborated on a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that people who set a volunteering goal of 200 hours per year were more likely to succeed when breaking up their goal into small steps. Those who set a weekly goal spent 8% more time volunteering than those whose goal was annual. Milkman says to ask yourselves the following questions to help you break down your goal:?
Find out what’s standing in your way
If you find something is disincentivizing you, try this: Reward yourself during or after completing the goal. It’s what Milkman calls “temptation bundling,” or coupling something you love with your habit, such as listening to your favorite podcast while you do your strength workout.?
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Adopt a growth mindset
“The best goals stretch us, which means some missteps and goal failures are likely,” Milkman says. “It’s important to have a growth mindset about goal pursuit, which means recognizing that missteps are part of the journey and they can help us learn and grow and succeed with greater likelihood in the future by rethinking our path.” What’s more, the New Year is only one marker of a new start. Don’t be afraid to choose another date to start working on a new habit.?
Read Alexa Mikhail’s full article here .?
?? Aging Well Tip of the Week
Block off self-care time. “Life has so many competing priorities, between work and family and friends, that it is easy to neglect self-care without even recognizing it,” says Dr. Scott Braunstein , national medical director at Sollis Health. “In the new year, I am going to block off time each day for time for myself: going for a walk outdoors, exercising, meditation or yoga, or watching my favorite tv show.?Prioritizing this every day has both mental and physical health benefits.”?
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