How to Make Resolutions that Stick
It’s 2020 and we’re turning the page on the past decade and starting a brand-new chapter. Everyone is preparing their New Year’s resolutions and focusing on change and renewal.
New Year’s resolutions are often a hot topic of debate, despite their popularity. Some swear by the motivational power of a brand-new start and the dream of a better life. Others criticize the practice and note that most resolutions are swiftly forgotten by Valentine’s day.
While this may be true, at Livana we believe that creating goals and healthy habits is always a good idea – with the right plan. Here we’ll tackle the big issues with resolutions and teach you how to make New Year’s resolutions that stick!
The Trouble with Resolutions
Many resolution critics claim that resolutions don’t work. And they’re right! The typical method in which people declare or write their resolutions is meaningless, vague, and impossible to take action on.
Here Are the Stats
To better understand how successful resolutions are, psychologists have researched outcomes after a few months. In one study, "The resolution solution: Longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts", 77% of participants had kept their resolution after one week, 55% after one month, and only 19% after two years.
With less than 20% of motivated people keeping their resolution for the whole year, it’s easy to claim that resolutions don’t work.
Here’s where they’re getting it wrong
Common resolutions often read as follows:
- Lose weight.
- Be more active.
- Get along with my family.
- Stress less.
- Make new friends.
- Save money.
- Pay off debt.
- Start my business.
These “resolutions” are nothing more than wishes and vague commands. There are no actionable steps, no goals, no measures of progress. When faced with the overwhelming and unclear task of “stress less” or “be more active,” the mind shuts off and we retreat to our more comfortable (even if slightly disappointing) regular habits. We don’t need to ditch resolutions; we need to write better ones.
How to Write Your Resolutions to Stick
The key to creating resolutions and goals that work is to set yourself up for success from the start. This method is a clear, concise, and effective way to get to the heart of what you really want to achieve – and the map to get you there.
Start SMART
SMART goals are the way to go. SMART stands for Specific (what are you trying to accomplish, exactly), Measurable (how much/often/long), Attainable (create a goal that you can easily achieve), Relevant (make sure your goal is relevant to your desired outcome and your needs at this time), and Time-sensitive (by when?). Each resolution you create needs to these features.
In our poor example of “stress less,” we can revamp our resolution to be a SMART goal:
To reduce stress, I will meditate for 10 minutes each morning after waking so I can start the day with a clear head. After one month, I will increase my time to 15 minutes.
The above goal has a specific action (meditate), is attainable (only 10 minutes, increasing after one successful month), is relevant (meditation is known to reduce stress), is measurable (10 minutes every day), and time-sensitive (for 30 days, then re-evaluate). The goal-setter could add in “I will use Calm Waters essential oil blend during meditation to help relax my mind” for an added stress-relieving boost.
Have a Good “Why”
Resolutions are hard to keep when you don’t have a strong motivating force behind them. It’s the deeper “why” that keeps our eye on the prize and makes the hard work worth it.
Do you have a “why” for your resolutions? Get to the heart of your goals and find what makes you most passionate about them. Having a clear reason makes sticking to your resolutions easier and you’ll be more likely to succeed.
Make Room for Slip-Ups
So often we think that resolutions, diets, or good habits can’t be broken or else we’ve failed. There is nothing further from the truth! It is natural to slip-up sometimes and life can get in the way. The most important thing is to recover and get back on track afterwards.
Room for error in your resolutions will prevent the feeling of defeat and urge to give-up after a mistake. An unhealthy meal doesn’t have to mean you’ve blown your diet – but it could mean that you go for an extra walk or cook a particularly healthy meal the next day. Forgot to meditate one morning? That’s ok – plan to make up your missed minutes the next day.
The key to sticking with your new good habits through mishaps and slip-ups is to never let it slide two days in a row. After two days of missing out it’s much harder to stick to the path. Get right back on track and keep moving forward.
Livana’s New Year’s Resolutions
At Livana, we’re writing resolutions of our own. This year, we’re focusing on our natural roots and returning to the earth. Livana was born out of the natural connection our ancestors had to mother nature and the beauty and health secrets they passed down. We plan to continue our development goals for our quality plant-based products for hair, face, body, feet, and our signature blends – the natural way.
Revolutionary Resolutions
Are you ready to create effective and life-changing resolutions this year? Take this opportunity of a new year to take the reigns and create the life you deserve with powerful resolutions that stick.
