Only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, according to a study conducted by the University of Scranton.
In addition, Strava, a social networking platform for athletes, says that Jan. 12, barely two weeks into the new year, is when most people give up on their resolutions.
How can we change that? How do we stray away from giving up and losing hope and stick with the motivation that made us set our resolutions in the first place?
Well, there are a few ways to prevent us from quitting so quickly into the new year.
First tip: Start small
It’s easy to get carried away when talking about and planning your goals for the new year. I mean, how can you not?
A new year marks a new chapter, new opportunities and a fresh start.
When thinking about all of these amazing things, you can get carried away and create goals to become the best version of yourself.
While this is OK, and often a good thing, the scale of your goals should start on a smaller level to ensure that you can accomplish them.
It’s easy to say, “I will be fit this year!”
But, many of us can’t afford to join gyms and cook healthy meals, nor do we have the time to hit the gym every day.
To be honest, that’s OK! You don’t have to be drastic with your actions in order to achieve your goals.
It’s best to dial down your goals into smaller, more attainable ones.
For example, you could try doing a workout once or twice a week to start.
Then, once that habit is built, you can improve from there.
Trying to dive into your goals without slowing down can deter you from achieving them. Start small and go from there.
Second tip: Don’t expect perfection
We’ve all been there.
We’ve all set a goal and done everything in our power to achieve it.
In some cases, it works. In others, we crave perfection so much that we’ve set ourselves up for failure before we’ve even begun working.
In the past, I have wanted to work out more. In fact, it’s been a resolution of mine for a few years, but I never seem to achieve it.
Looking back, it’s largely due to my desire for perfection. To be the girl who goes to the gym early before class, who takes care of herself and gets those gains.
However, I put too much pressure on myself and as soon as I couldn’t make it to the gym, I would obsess over it and get discouraged.
Ultimately, I had to learn that progress looks different on everyone.
Goals don’t have to be an everyday thing, and the process to achieving them isn’t and won’t be perfect.
Cut yourself some slack and allow yourself grace.
If you stop searching for perfection within your goals, you will be more likely to see the beauty in the process and become prouder of yourself each and every day, no matter how small the steps.
Third tip: Grab a friend
Another way to ensure you stay working on your goals and not give up is to have another person join along the journey with you.
The both of you don’t necessarily have to have the same goals, but if you have another person to hold you accountable and keep you on track, it can give you that extra push you need to keep with the resolutions you have set.
People set resolutions for a reason, and it can be frustrating when you feel like you can’t succeed.
Try to implement these tips into your new year’s resolutions to see how they make you feel.
From my experience, living by these tips have helped me to not give up on my resolutions so easily and quickly. You got this!