Did you make a new year resolution that you’ve already given up? If so, you’re not alone. According to Psychology Today, 80% of people who make resolutions will have abandoned them within a month.
This is because relying on willpower alone isn’t enough to make any kind of lasting or serious change. While momentum might carry you through the early days or even weeks, you’re unlikely to stick with your resolution using sheer effort of will.
The good news is that there are effective, proven ways to build new habits that last beyond the initial phase. Read on to find out how.
Finding sustainable ways to make change means taking the time to embed new habits
Making a resolution is easy during the excesses of the festive season. Planning to eat more healthily, exercise more, or quit smoking, for example, feels easy to achieve as our bodies start to crave a healthier regime.
However, a few weeks in, our energy reserves may dip, self-control may waver, and it can be all too easy to give up. Dark nights and winter fatigue can also play their part in draining motivation to do much more than relax on the sofa under a blanket.
The jury is out on exactly how long it takes to form a habit. But according to Healthline, it is generally around 60 days, although this depends on the individual and the nature of the change.
There are several reasons why willpower can let us down when we need it the most.
Lack of balance
We often approach willpower as an all-or-nothing experience, which either drives us forward or lets us down. But it’s simply not sustainable without building in some checks and balances.
Exposure to temptation
Feeling like you’ve conquered your bad habits can be great. But you need to allow yourself time to really embed your new ways. For example, thinking you could have “just one” cigarette is a pretty surefire way to fall back into smoking.
Low energy reserves
You might wake up full of determination and focus, but as the day goes by, you may notice your energy reserves dipping. Self-control tends to plummet at the same time, so you’re more likely to slip back into your old ways later in the day.
Lack of sleep
All the willpower in the world will fall down fairly easily in the face of tiredness. Lack of quality sleep can lead to you feeling slower and more sluggish, without the sharp processing power you need for your willpower to work.
Goals are achievable if you can shift your mindset and slow things down
None of this is to say that you can’t achieve anything you want to. But as the saying goes, old habits die hard. And you’re not going to do much more than dent them with a few weeks of dwindling enthusiasm. Rather, you need to shift your mindset and understanding to make changes that really stick.
Be kind to yourself
There’s a very good chance that on your way to making a significant change, you’ll slip up at times. This can lead to a cycle of shame, as you beat yourself up over your “failure”, promise to do better, and then slip up again. Showing yourself compassion and giving yourself some leeway are far more likely to help you stick to your long-term goals.
Form habits instead of making resolutions
A resolution is just words and can be made in seconds. A habit takes time to form, but you know you can do it. Look at everything you do as a matter of course in your day.
Brushing your teeth, locking your door, taking a shower – these are the everyday actions you probably barely even think about. Give yourself enough repetition and enough time, and you can ingrain anything you choose.
Understand your motivation
Focusing too heavily on outcomes will make change unsustainable. For example, if you want to eat more healthily, it can be tempting to weigh yourself regularly. But being guided purely by the scales can set you back.
Rather, focus on the value that healthy eating will bring long term, how good it will make you feel throughout the day, and how it could help you enjoy a better night’s sleep.
Start very small
Your resolution might be to get healthy by cutting out sugar, quitting smoking, taking up exercise, and reducing your alcohol intake.
But trying to do all this at once will just be overwhelming. Take it very gradually and introduce small and simple changes, such as reducing a teaspoon of sugar in your tea to half a teaspoon. It might feel tiny, almost insignificant, but these little changes will turn into big habits.
Shut out the media noise
There’s a lot out there about the perfect routine, the right way to live, and the best type of fitness. But these might not fit in with the way you want to live your life.
Following someone else’s morning routine will likely just make you feel resentful. Build in the gradual habits that will be meaningful to you, and they are much more likely to stick.
Get in touch
If you’d like to make financial planning one of your new habits, we can help.
Please get in touch by emailing hello@fingerprintfp.co.uk or calling 03452 100 100.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at individuals only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.