ActiveMan
No Result
View All Result
  • Health & Fitness
  • Style
  • Living
  • Culture
  • Health & Fitness
  • Style
  • Living
  • Culture
No Result
View All Result
ActiveMan
No Result
View All Result
Home Health & Fitness

7 Simple Tricks To Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

by Joe Elvin
November 28, 2018
in Health & Fitness
7 Simple Tricks To Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Do you struggle to keep your New Year’s resolutions? You’re not the only one…
A recent U.S News study suggests that 80% of resolutions fail by February, and it’s probably because most people go about them the wrong way.

Many believe they’re resilient enough to amend a lifetime’s worth of bad habits without any preparation as if the power of the calendar is enough to gift them that extra willpower.

However, if anything, the opposite is true. A cold wet month like January, when people are statistically most likely to split up with their partner or be in debt, is arguably the most difficult month of the year to try and improve yourself.

Nevertheless, if you’ve set a New Year’s resolution, here are seven small steps you can take to improve your chances of sticking to it.

1. Accept you won’t be motivated all the time

In early January, you might be super-motivated to stick to your resolution. It’s likely you’re beaming with pride having taken on this self-improvement challenge and constantly daydreaming about how much better life will be as a result.

Sadly, many people make the mistake of believing they’ll feel like this forever. They don’t realize it’s natural for motivation to fade over time. So, when they find themselves not feeling as motivated as in the past, they end up slipping back into their old habits.

The key to avoiding this is accepting that you won’t always be motivated to stick to your challenge, but promising to do so anyway. It’s easier to ride through the testing moments if you’re prepared for them.

Motivation can’t be relied on in the long-term. Discipline can.

2. Focus on actions, not results

Make sure your resolution is focused on actions, not results.
Instead of ‘I’m going to lose 50lbs’, consider ‘I’m going to go to the gym three times a week’.

This not only gives you a clear plan of action but also stops you being demotivated by things you can’t control.

3. Focus on dos, not don’ts

This small attitude shift can help you feel more positive about your change. Rather than focusing on what you’re missing out on, concentrate on what you ARE doing.
If you are giving up something in 2018, find something to replace it with. Then, change the wording of your resolution appropriately.

For example: ‘I’m going to chew nicotine gum whenever I crave a cigarette’ or ‘I’m going to eat salad for lunch instead of doughnuts.’

4. Give yourself an end date

This sounds counter-productive. Why would you commit to bettering yourself for a month if you want to stay that way forever?

The answer is that challenges appear more achievable if there’s a deadline involved. The prospect of adopting any routine forever can be too overwhelming, so we give up or fail to even start. With this in mind, set yourself a four-week challenge, and then decide what you want to do afterward.

It’s likely you’ll want to stick with it, as studies have shown it takes 28 days for the human brain to adapt to a routine. Any sort of challenge becomes easier to continue after this time period.

5. Tell your friends

Make your resolution public and you’ll be more likely to stick to it. The humiliation of admitting failure to friends can serve as great motivation to continue anything. Why not tell all your social media contacts about your challenge?

6. One at a time

Willpower is finite, and it’s not transferable.

If you’ve spent the day resisting cigarettes, you’ll find it more difficult to turn down the dessert that evening. Typically, in this situation, you’ll cave and both good intentions will go out the window.

With that in mind, make just ONE New Year’s resolution, and add in further good habits throughout the year.

7. Remind yourself of the rewards

Serve yourself regular reminders of why you’ve decided to make this change. Find a picture of the ultimate reward. Stick it in your fridge. Make it the background on the phone. Stare at it in the moments you consider giving up.

As Les Brown said: “When your why is big enough, you’ll find your how.”

Tags: lifestyle
Previous Post

Heart Healthy Multivitamin for Men

Next Post

When is the Best Time to Take Your Weight Loss Training to the Next Level?

Related Posts

"Football is fun but it don't sell sneakers" according to Andre Holland's Ray Burke (Image Credits: Harper Road Films / Netflix)
Culture

Netflix Weekly Wrap-Up: High-Flying Bird, Close, and Kevin Hart Teaching History

Dal rice has been known to aid in weight loss, and is actually a good source of carbohydrates.
Health & Fitness

What Is Dal Rice, and How Can It Help You Lose Weight?

The Whole30 diet focuses on eating fresh foods and avoiding processed foods as much as possible.
Health & Fitness

Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the Whole30 Diet

Post-workout supplements are important for your recovery after an intense workout.
Health & Fitness

7 Post-Workout Supplements to Kick-Start Your Recovery

Keeping a fitness journal might just be the secret to reaching your fitness goals.
Health & Fitness

Why Keeping a Fitness Journal Is Important

Ultra-processed foods might be convenient, but they pose a significant health risk.
Health & Fitness

Eating Ultra-Processed Foods Might Be Killing Us

These weight loss strategies are very effective if you stick to them.
Health & Fitness

5 Weight Loss Strategies That Actually Work

Follow these steps to ensure you don't get acne because of bad workout habits.
Health & Fitness

Post-Workout Acne: Causes and How to Avoid It

Contrary to popular belief, vegetarian protein does help build muscle.
Health & Fitness

10 Best Sources of Vegetarian Protein

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Popular This Week

Living

5 Style Tips You Can Learn from Korean Trends

by Janelle A.

K-pop is slowly on the rise in the West, and along with the catchy music, the movement's impeccable style has...

Read more
University Health News

Best Multivitamins for Men Over 60

Six books about sex that every man should read

Six Books About Sex That Every Man Should Read

10 Best Men’s Blog for Fitness You’ve Never Heard Of

10 Best Men’s Blog for Fitness You’ve Never Heard Of

ray donovan

How ‘Ray Donovan watches’ Changed My Life

Tweets by activeman
  • About
  • Advertising

© 2019 ActiveMan. All rights reserved.
Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
ActiveMan might participate in various affiliate marketing programs every now and then, which means ActiveMan gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites.
ActiveMan is a registered trademark of Placeful, Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Health & Fitness
  • Style
  • Living
  • Culture

© 2018 ActiveMan. All rights reserved. All images property of their respective owners. ActiveMan is a registered trademark of Placeful, Inc.