One month into the New Year are you finding it hard to stick to your new year’s resolution? First of all you are not alone. It doesn’t mean you lack will power or fortitude. It just means you may not be using the best techniques for tackling behaviour change. Heartfelt, well meaning, proclamations about ways you’re going to change or approach life differently seem straight forward on December 31 but then life happens and as the saying goes old habits die hard.
The best way to keep your new year’s resolution is not to judge yourself for falling back into old habits but to reward yourself for the times you do get it right. The path to a a new life can’t’ just be about painful decisions and deprivation. You need something to look forward to while you’re making your resolution a habit rather than a change. When you achieve the first step of your new behaviour make the reward immediate especially in the beginning.
E.g. new year’s resolution to eat healthy
The first step is to go through the cupboard and fridge and throw out unhealthy y food. This is a big step and deserves a reward – obviously not with something that is counterintuitive to goals like a cupcake. The best thing to choose is something that has value to you. For instance a trip to the movies, buying new music or going for a massage.
You can also make intrinsic rewards a part of your behaviour change. This means taking notice of how the change in behaviour makes you feel. Take a moment to feel proud or good about yourself for achieving the first step. Treasure the feeling and make sure you make the connection between the feeling and the new behaviour.
It’s also important to have short, mid and long term goals. That means coming up with suitable rewards after one day, one week and one month of desired behaviour. The rewards just like the steps should start small and get progressively bigger. E.g. at the end of one year of eating healthy you reward yourself with the beach holiday you have always wanted.
The best way to keep your new year’s resolution is to not punish the slips or lapses in behaviour but celebrate behaviour change.
For more help have a look at other behaviour change techniques.
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