How to Succeed at New Year’s Resolutions

The New Year can be a good time for you and your kids to set important goals, academic and otherwise. However, most New Year’s resolutions fail (yes, mine included!). Whether it’s losing weight or exercising more, surveys show that only about eight percent of resolutions result in success.

The questions are: Why? And then: How?

Why do most resolutions fail?

And how can you boost your success rate?

Here are some answers, starting with two of my own (rare but successful) resolutions.

Make It Simple and Doable

A lot of resolutions fail because they’re too ambitious: like a crash weight-loss program that’s just too hard to maintain. How about something simple and doable? When our kids were younger, we grew concerned about them watching too much TV. So one New Year’s Day we sat them down (they were ages seven and ten) and said, here’s a resolution for the new year: no TV until you finish your homework. Then one hour of TV. That was it. And it worked for years. Clear, simple, and doable.

Get One Truly Motivating Idea

Experts say it’s hard to stick with something unless you’ve nailed your motivation. I’ve made resolutions for years about exercising more, to little avail. All well and good: But, how to stick to it? I had read this advice about exercise: Instead of thinking of it as a chore, think of it as a gift you give yourself and loved ones; the gift of better health for now and the future. This single motivating idea has been my key to sticking with it.

Follow the Most Practical Advice

I did some research and found a ton of advice about why resolutions succeed or fail. Some words of wisdom were good, some so-so, and some way too complicated. The best advice was short, sweet, and practical. I really liked this piece on Huffington Post by Dr. Guy Winch, that identifies five common mistakes and how to fix them. These are general guidelines that many experts recommend when setting goals:

• Start with fewer goals: Don’t make too many resolutions, it just makes it harder. Pick your top first or second goals.
• Create “measurable” goals: Be as specific as possible with your resolution.
• Be practical: Don’t set your goals unrealistically high.
• Make a plan: Make mini-goals for yourself then plan out how you will accomplish them.
• Make a schedule: Write out clear dates for starting and completing your goals.

You may also find technology can help with your resolutions. Read Learning Liftoff’s post on “10 Free Apps to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions” and find out if there’s an app for that!

Do you have any advice for readers on how you or your kids can succeed at New Year’s resolutions? Please add it to the comments section below!

 

This article originally published December 2015 and has been revised and republished.