Making the new year resolution stick

It's that time of year again. Even with COVID happening, we will all figure out how to spend time with those we love and make grand plans for change in the new year. No doubt, 2021 is the year for change, all our new weight loss plans, new business ideas to launch and relationships to grow.

Very exciting times indeed but honestly how many of those grand plans stick past February?

These days people talk about not even setting new resolutions which I think is RUBBISH. Many of my biggest changes; weight loss, quitting smoking, launching a business; were all new year resolutions.

You SHOULD set new year plans. The changing of the year is a time for new beginnings, a clear line in the sand. Especially after the rollercoaster that is 2020, I am sure we are all looking for a change.

The trick is how do you make it stick? Here are some tips that seemed to work well for me:

1.  Find your emotional 'why'- I remember when I finally quit smoking, it was my 4th attempt. The past 3 attempts were 'nice' to haves and my 3rd lasted 6 months. The final time however, I was due to be a new dad and my mentality was that I did not want to have my child grow up around this relic of my bad behaviour. What is your emotional reason behind the resolution?
2. Identify your bad habits and replace with new habits - For instance, if you are trying to lose weight, what are the behaviours putting on the weight? Are you eating late because you work too long? It's hard to break old habits but it's much easier to add NEW habits. Find habits that you would like to replace this with. There are tons of books on this like 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear which is popular now or my favourite, 'The Power of Habits' by Charles Duhigg
3. Start the change BEFORE the break - This was the most important tip that helped me was starting my new year resolution 3 weeks before the Christmas break. Sounds like a 'hack' and it is. If you start a resolution after the break, you are telling your subconscious mind that the relaxation is more important than the resolution. Trick your subconscious into believing you would forfeit your break for this and it will reinforce the resolution.

Thankfully 2020 is finally about to end and 2021 is looking so much brighter. HOORAY!!!

What about for yourself? Were there past new year resolutions that stuck? If so, how? Share your thoughts in the comments.