How to keep new year’s resolutions: Be clear about your goals and make them realistic

How are those new year’s resolutions going? If you haven’t made any, there is still time.

“The new year can be a great marker to create changes in your life,” says psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Brian Pennie.

“The reality is, most people fail at creating new habits, but that failure doesn’t make it a bad idea,” says Pennie. “The challenge is in the implementation.”

There are some simple steps you can take to improve your chances of success.

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Be clear

When a resolution is too vague, it can be hard to know what exactly you are trying to achieve and if you are being successful.

“One of the biggest failures I find is that people don’t set boundaries around what they want to do,” says Pennie.

“Someone might say, ‘I’m going to eat healthily in 2024′ – but what does that even look like? Take the vagueness out of it.

“I don’t do sugar, for example. Rules are a great way to be clear about what you are trying to achieve. I know objectively that I’ve gone wrong if I eat sugar.”

Go big?

If the change you are trying to achieve is too big or drastic, you have less chance of sustaining it over the long term. It’s just not realistic, says Pennie.

A goal to run 10km three times a week, for example, won’t be sustainable for everyone. A few weeks into a new habit that is too hard and you may lose motivation.

“Take baby steps. Make small changes that are sustainable and compound over time,” says Pennie.

Environmental factors

If you’d like to drink less, but your social life still revolves around the pub, it will be a challenge. Try swapping out the pub sometimes for meeting friends over coffee or for a hike.

“People tend to think the motivation for a new habit lives inside them, and if they are not motivated, it’s a flaw,” says Pennie. “But it’s your environment that really shapes your behaviour. If there are people and situations in your life that are going to pull you away from your resolutions, spend less time there with them.”

Accountability

Spend more time with the people who have the same goals as you, or those who are willing to support you in your goals.

“Accountability partners are brilliant – a friend, a personal trainer or join a club. Having some kind of accountability is going to up the odds of you sticking to those resolutions,” says Pennie.

Get back on the horse

There will be bumps on the road, but keep at it. Work, family, travel, splurges – life will throw you off course and that’s to be expected.

If you missed a run again, ate a big cake, smoked, vaped or had a blowout night on the town, get back on the horse.

“The research shows the biggest predictor of successful habit change or behavior is jumping straight back in,” says Pennie.

“If you miss Monday and Tuesday, don’t wait until the following Monday. Jump back in on Wednesday.”

“It’s not a failure. Jumping back in is vital and is the biggest predictor of behaviour and habit change.”

Keystone habits

Introducing a new “keystone” habit can be a gentle way to move towards positive change in your life, says Pennie. Things like taking a moment in the morning to set your intentions for the day can make it easier to feel more present. Having a family dinner where you each mention one thing you are grateful for that day, or a way in which you were kind to someone – these can create a powerful change that can support you to make other changes, he says.

“A keystone habit isn’t a direct cause and effect, it’s a domino that knocks down other dominos. It can have a ripple effect on other areas of your life. It can feel nicer than some of the rigid habits that can strangle some people.”