Most of us go into the new year with the best intentions of meeting our aspirational goals - lose 10 pounds, start an exercise program, pay off credit card debt, find a partner - you know, all the usual suspects. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t go as planned for most of us. According to Inc.com, studies have showed 91% of us will not achieve our New Year’s resolutions.
So what’s the problem? There’s 3 big obstacles we are battling including distraction, laziness, and impulsive behavior. Let’s start with distraction. Have you ever walked into a room and not remembered why you went in there in the first place? Between our phones, families, pets, and work, it no wonder we can even stay on track to shower yet add a new healthy habit! Let’s move onto laziness. Starting a new habit can be challenging, especially if it’s something we don’t particularly enjoy. Its no easy feat getting home from work only to have to cook a meal for your family versus simply picking up fast food. Lastly, impulsive behavior can sneak up on us even with the best intentions. You had planned to go to the gym after work but your friend really needed to talk about the drama at work and now you find yourself at a happy hour. Oy!
Give yourself a break! After all, you are human with a reptilian brain controlling many of these behaviors. So how can we work WITH our behaviors instead of fighting against them?
Here are 5 strategies to help you hack your system to help you accomplish your goals:
Break big goals into smaller more digestible targets. For example, if you want to buy a new car do your research on the cost then work backwards. If its $20,000 and you would like to buy it in 2 years, you’ll need to save $833/month for the next 24 months. You can even go further and say $208/week or $30 per day. $30 is a lot easier to swollow versus $20k!
Keep track of your progress. When I lost 20 pounds on Weight Watchers (WW) it wasn’t all at once and it wasn’t quick. Part of the reason WW is so successful is the daily and weekly tracking. You are directed to keep a daily food journal and weekly weigh in. Typically, .5 to 1 pound is lost per week if you’re staying on track. That’s not a lot! But once you hit 5 pounds, then 10 pounds its motivating which gives you momentum to keep going. The weekly weigh ins also keep you accountable, allowing you to make adjustments as needed.
Make it automatic. You don’t negotiate with yourself to brush your teeth everyday (or I hope you don’t), why do we let ourselves consider NOT taking other actions to meet our goals? Set up an auto debit to your savings, plan your dinners for the whole week ahead, and make plans with your friend to meet at the gym after work. And then go with the flow.
Pair unpleasant tasks with reward. My wife hates folding laundry and putting away dishes. But she loves her comedic murder mystery podcast, My Favorite Murder (should I be worried?). To make the time pass while doing these mundane tasks, she only listens to the podcast with laundry and dishes. Now she looks forward to these chores!
Lastly, try to make it fun. We’re all just kids in an adult body. Don’t run on the treadmill if you hate running on the treadmill. Instead, try to match up your interests with activity. If you played basketball in high school and loved it, for example, give a local rec team a shot. Find something you look forward to do because life is too short and it'll help you stick with it.
Hope these hacks help you accomplish your goals for 2023 and beyond!
Sources:
Inc.com article: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/studies-show-91-percent-of-us-wont-achieve-our-new-years-resolutions-how-to-be-9-percent-that-do.html
Much of these tips are evidence-based recommendations from the podcast “You, But Better” on NPR’s Hidden Brain with behavioral scientist Katy Milkman sharing her research. Check it out however you listen to your podcasts!
Photo by Fitsum Admasu on Unsplash
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