Why most people don't stick to their New Year's resolutions and how you can!

With the start of 2022, it’s easy to get caught up in the several different resolutions you probably have set for yourself. And truth be told, most people do not follow through with their resolutions. In fact, less than 8% of people stick to their resolutions *gasp*. So, why is this so? Aren’t we the most motivated at the start of a new year? Do we lack willpower? Are we stuck in the same ways forever? No, no, and definitely not! The truth is that most people are only focusing on what the resolutions are and their goals, not on how they’re going to stick to their resolutions. And of the few people who do focus on the how aren’t doing so in a long-lasting, effective way.

For example, let’s say one of your resolutions is to work out every day for 30 minutes. That’s great! However, you’re used to taking care of everyone else’s needs (your partner, your children, etc.) that by the time you get home from work, get dinner on the table, and clean up the house, you’re exhausted and would rather sit on the couch eating popcorn. This is completely understandable and points out a key factor in sticking to a resolution: you have to change your identity. You can’t change your habits for the better until you have chosen a new identity. So in this example, your identity is someone who prioritizes everyone else’s needs and your health and well-being is an added bonus, not a necessity. It’ll be very difficult for you to exercise 30 minutes daily if you don’t see yourself as a priority or someone who loves to take care of their body. You know you want to exercise daily, and you know that it’s good for you, but without changing your identity, odds are your motivation and willingness to stick to this resolution will fade away until the next new year comes around.

Focusing on the outcome/goal/resolution whatever you want to call it is not going to get you where you want to go. Take an honest look at what your identity is now for whatever the end point you have in mind is and flip it to be the opposite. Continuing with the prior example, if your identity right now is “I am someone who’s needs aren’t prioritized”, we can easily switch it to “I am someone who prioritizes my health and well-being” and you can then start to think of what habits you would have if you were this person. This makes that goal of working out 30 minutes a day so much more doable. Maybe you wake up 30 minutes earlier or go to sleep 30 minutes later in order to make time for exercise. Or maybe you break up the 30 minutes and take a walk outside at work to get lunch for 15 minutes and do another 15 minutes at home. You can even start to think of other habits this identity takes on: eating nutritious foods, taking care of your mental health, etc. Either way, the point is that we as humans don’t like to do things that go against our identity. Stick to your resolutions by changing your habits via changing your identity and watch how your life transforms.

If this is something you’d like 1:1 help with, click here to book a free consultation and we can get you started on your journey!