We all know the normal procedure for New Years Resolutions – make a dramatic promise on behalf of your future self in December, struggle to stick to it for the first few days of the year and return to normal by February. But if you want to, it is possible to bring lasting positive change into your life, and the New Year can give you a powerful psychological advantage if you know how to use it.
Why are you doing it?
A lot has been written about “doing things for the right reasons” and there’s a lot of truth in that. The important thing, though, is that you understand the reason why you want to make this change. It doesn’t have to change the world, and you don’t need to think of a deep and noble reason for losing weight or cutting your drinking – it just needs to be important to you personally.
This will help you focus your energy on things that matter, and step away from the damaging cycle of making resolutions just because it’s New Year and failing because you don’t really care about them.
Writing your reason down can also be extremely useful, as it forces you to think about why you chose this resolution and put that into words, and allows you to refer back to what you wrote in a few months’ time, when you inevitably ask yourself why you started.
What resolutions are best to make?
The exact details of your resolution will obviously depend on what you’re trying to achieve and what changes you want to make in your life, but there are some guidelines you can follow that will help you to be more successful.
Make it specific
You’ll be more likely to succeed if your resolutions are specific, rather than general. So instead of deciding to “exercise more” you could give yourself a goal of 30mins activity per day, or better still you could follow a detailed exercise program focused on your specific goals.
Be realistic
The most effective way to change your habits is through modest but cumulative effort and you don’t have to change everything all at once when the clock strikes at New Year. While it may be tempting to challenge yourself, choosing something you know you can do with just a little effort is much more likely to be effective.
Choose something that’s under your control
Another reason to make specific resolutions is to ensure you can’t fail due to external circumstances. Remember you can only really control your own actions and responses, so try to focus on those rather than on results that are not fully under your control. For example, you might decide to stick to a diet plan, which is entirely about your own actions, rather than to lose a certain amount of weight, which would depend on a wide range of factors, only some of which are under your control.
How should approach your resolutions?
If you’ve chosen your resolution wisely and carefully considered why it’s important to you, you should be well on the way to success, but here are some useful tips to help you on your way:
Make a plan
It’s best to have a plan, no only to plot out your route to success, but also to anticipate the likely challenges and think about how you might overcome them. For example, if your resolution is to quit smoking, research how long it takes an average person to kick the habit and the possible setbacks to expect. Proper planning will help ensure you can see it through to the end.
Enlist your friends and family
Lean on people – whether it’s a friend to keep your exercise resolution on track, or a spouse to help with healthier eating habits. We function better with community around us, motivating and reminding us why we chose that New Year’s resolution in the first place.
Be patient with yourself
If you take an “all or nothing” approach, you’ll usually end up with nothing. New routines don’t just become habit overnight. A 2009 study found that on average, it takes 66 days to form a new habit. If you have minor setbacks or don’t hit your goal one week, pick it back up the next week. Just keep working at your goal and eventually it can become second nature.
Orange Genie Companion
If you’re an employee of Orange Genie you have access to a whole host of resources to help you take control of your health, wellbeing and finances, and we strongly advise all our employees to make full use of them.
Wellbeing check
This is an online questionnaire designed to help you assess your present position. It will generate a detailed report, including simple changes you could make to improve your health and wellbeing.
Gym discounts
If your new year plans involve joining a gym, be sure to search our list of over 3.000 participating gyms find one close to you. Even if you’ve chosen the gym you want to use there’s a good chance they have an offer on our system and you could make a significant saving.
My fitness
For practical advice and video content on fitness, nutrition, mental wellbeing and financial stability check out the My Fitness section on your Orange Genie Companion app or portal.
If you have questions or if we can help in any way please call our expert team on 01296 468483 or email info@orangegenie.com.