{"id":19230,"date":"2019-01-15T17:18:21","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T16:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/?p=19230"},"modified":"2023-07-17T11:45:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T09:45:13","slug":"5-ways-to-maintain-your-new-years-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/en\/blog\/5-ways-to-maintain-your-new-years-resolutions\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Maintain Your New Year’s Resolutions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"5<\/p>\n

While I understand that New Year’s resolutions aren’t for everyone, if you’re like me, you’re part of 44%<\/a> that has made a promise to themselves that you will dedicate this coming year to achieving an aspiration that (you hope) will result in being the best version of you.<\/p>\n

For me, it’s completing the 50-book challenge<\/a>. At the end of last year, I realized that I had only read three books in 2018 that weren’t work-related which is why I’ve made it my 2019 resolution to make a concerted effort to read more books and the challenge enables me to do so.<\/p>\n

But as we all know, channelling our inner Beyonc\u00e9 doesn’t come easy. It takes commitment, sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears to stick to your resolutions. It’s always fun and games at the beginning with motivation levels on a high, but then by mid-January, this feeling starts to decline.<\/p>\n

In this article, I’ll take a look at why resolutions are tricky to achieve and propose suggestions on how you can make your resolutions stick.<\/p>\n

\"People Image by Tomasz Wo\u017ania<\/a>k via Unsplash<\/p>\n

A tradition that dates back to <\/span>Babylonian times<\/span><\/a>, New Year\u2019s resolutions are goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of a new year in hopes that achieving them will result in some sort of enhanced quality of life. <\/span><\/p>\n

While there’s no golden rule that states we can’t make improvements at any time of the year,\u00a0<\/span>there’s something about the convention of New Year’s resolutions and how it symbolizes a clean slate that makes people more dedicated to the cause.<\/p>\n

However, as most of us are aware, resolutions have a reputation for being left unfinished. However much we’re galvanized to get them underway at the beginning, we know this feeling doesn’t last very long. In fact, it’s been said that by February, 80% of resolutions<\/a> will have failed.<\/p>\n

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The Struggle Is Real<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A likely reason why resolutions tend to be tougher to achieve compared to other goals we set is <\/span>that they are usually aspirations we keep failing at. Think about it, how many times last year did you swear to yourself that you’d stop spending money on unnecessary things? And then think about how many times you still kept buying unnecessary things.<\/span><\/p>\n

If this situation rings a familiar bell\u2014be it with money, exercise, or something else\u2014then it makes sense why you would choose the new year to pledge your new commitments. It represents a fresh start after all.<\/p>\n

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This doesn’t have to be you (GIF by Giphy<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fact is that for most of us, the “making” part comes fairly easily, it’s the maintaining bit that gets us. Keeping a resolution going requires you to pick up a new habit or make adjustments to an accustomed routine.<\/p>\n

For instance, if I want to read 50 books in a year, I will have to reorganize my free time so that I spend it reading and not watching YouTube videos or aimlessly scrolling through social media. While in theory, this may seem fairly simple and straightforward, the reality can be very different.<\/p>\n

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How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sticking to a habit or adjusting to a new routine doesn’t come easy. But if you’re eager to achieve your goal, then one of the following suggestions may help.<\/p>\n

1. Implement Your Intentions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Implementation intentions<\/span><\/a> are triggers or cues that prompt a certain behaviour. A concept introduced by psychologist <\/span>Peter Gollwitzer<\/span><\/a> in 1999 suggests that by applying them, the likelihood of achieving your goals becomes more probable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone who makes a goal has every intention to achieve it, however, sometimes there are hurdles that can stop us from reaching the finish line. The idea behind implementation intentions is that if we create a plan\u2014implement our intentions\u2014then this plan can help us overcome the obstacles.<\/p>\n\r\n