We can finally say good bye to 2022 with some great memories and unfortunately some tough memories too. But with the coming of the new year, we can start looking forward to what you are going to achieve.
Have you thought about it yet? Do you have any new year’s resolutions you will keep to this year? Are you determined to keep an important resolution this year? Are you motivated enough?
Read on to find out about resolutions, some ideas for a new start in 2023 and what you can do to make the most of the new year.
What are new year’s resolutions?
Simply put, they are the promises you make yourself at the beginning of a new year so that you either take something up good or quit something bad.
Millions of people a year attempt a New Year’s resolution but according to a study published in the Journal of Clinal Psychology, only 46% of people are successful in keeping them.
What are the top 10 New Year’s resolutions?
This may list may or may not surprise you. The top 10 New Year’s resolutions that people attempt are:
1. Quit smoking
2. Lose weight
3. Travel more
4. Live life to the fullest
5. Spend more time with friends and family
6. Read more
7. Save more money
8. Get organised
9. Learn a new skill or take up a new hobby
10. Exercise more
Are any of your resolutions on the list? Have you tried them before?
These are all great resolutions to make as most of them involve improving physical health and providing a more varied outlook on life which can help to improve mental health. But have you ever wondered why it is so hard to keep to a New Year’s resolution?
Why is it so hard to keep to a New Year’s resolution?
You may try the same resolution each year and find yourself starting strong but after a few weeks or months you start to flag and your current New Year’s resolution ends up on the discard pile like each previous year’s. But why you ask?
Well, according to Psychology Today, there are many reasons that people give up on a New Year’s resolution.
The top reason being the fact that human behaviour is fleeting and depletable. Meaning we cannot keep up high levels of performance indefinitely. So, once we start with a high rate of enthusiasm and success and things are going well, we want to carry on. As soon as we start to waver a little and the performance levels drop, we become disheartened and don’t want to carry on.
Lack of motivation can also play a huge part in not completing our New year’s resolutions. As mentioned above, a lot of people who find themselves finding it difficult to keep up with their new challenge are more likely to give it up.
Unobtainable goals are another reason why people fail to succeed their resolutions. Without the right pre-planning and reasonable thought put into your New Year’s resolution, it is unlikely to get off the ground. If you think about challenges that are ambitious but achievable, then you are more likely to succeed and see through your resolution all year round.
Because life gets in the way. This for a lot of people will be the biggest reason that we don’t complete our New Year’s resolutions. Life happens. Without the right support, guidance and knowledge it is very difficult to achieve goals. So, make sure if you don’t want to let life get in the way of completing your goals you plan accordingly.
Enough of why we can’t do things and on to how we can make things happen and complete our goals.
How do I achieve my New Year’s resolution?
Though it is likely to be hard, we want you to have the best chance in completing your resolution and achieving those goals so we have out together a small list on our top tips on completing a New Year’s resolution.
Plan Ahead. Find the right ways of completing your goal. For example, if you want to lose weight then find a diet plan and workout regime. If you want to quit smoking, get some advice from a stop smoking service. The best thing you can do is make sure you have a plan in place so you know what goals you need to hit and what steps you need to take.
Reward yourself. This doesn’t mean to overdo it if you have hit a personal goal but think of ways to treat yourself every time you hit a milestone. Just ran your fist 10k of the year? Treat yourself to some new sports gear. Just done a whole month without a cigarette? Use that money to go for a nice meal somewhere. We all work better with some positive encouragement and you should make sure that you treat yourself now and then.
Make a list of pros and cons. How will completing your resolutions benefit you? Will they make you healthier? Will they make you happier? Think about what you can achieve from completing your resolutions and keep yourself motivated. Also, think about the cons if you don’t complete your resolution.
Keep trying. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You have to stick to it through the hard and easy times. Your goals won’t happen overnight so you need to stay patient and persistent.
Don’t be hard on yourself. This is probably the most important one. If at first you don’t succeed then keep going. Everyone will make the occasional slip up but it is not worth beating yourself up over.
So, we have looked at how to keep on top of your goals, but what goals will you choose to complete? We have briefly spoken about the most common resolutions that people make, but what about some different ideas?
Different and unique New Year’s resolutions
1. Spend more time outside. Embrace nature this year and spend less time in front of the screens.
2. Volunteer at a charity. Let your inner compassionate side come out and volunteer with a charity this year and give back to your community.
3. Try something new each month. Have you always wanted to try surfing? Or maybe you have always wanted to try knitting. Well this year you can try both and at least another ten things this year.
4. Declutter your home. New year, new you. This can also mean clearing your house from unneeded clothes and homeware. You can recycle these or there are plenty of charities that offer free clothes collections who would be very grateful for your old stuff.
5. Support local restaurants. It has been a tough year for a lot of small businesses in the UK due to the cost-of-living crisis, which unfortunately is still rumbling on into 2023, but when you do decide to treat yourself for doing such a good job on your New Year’s resolutions then eat at a local restaurant instead of a chain and support your local community.
So whatever you do this year, remember our top tips on keeping your New Year’s resolution. Try something new, don’t beat yourself up, don’t give up and most of all; enjoy it! 2023 will be full of great opportunities and fun new activities for everyone.
