Research shows that 80% of new year resolutions fail by Feb.
It doesn’t matter how big or small your goal is; statistics show that people fail. Most people dropped their goals by February 14. Data also show that many resolutions-ers even don’t make it that far.
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, says it’s definitely harder to achieve a bigger goal than the small one. It all depends on what kind of habits you develop to achieve that goal. Always start at the micro-level.
Suppose your goal is to read ten books a year. Start reading one page a day, then gradually increase your time towards ten pages a day. It’s like you are staking the habit. From 1 page a day to 10 pages a day.
What to do about it?
Make SMART goals!
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-constraint. You have to answer the fundamental question before you make a goal or think about quitting.
Why did you start in the first place?
Example: I started this tiny goal to drink 4 liters of water each day for 365 days. My first two weeks were terrible; I failed multiple times. I began to drink 1–2 liters a day, and now with the following magic trick, I am drinking 3.78 liters or 1-gallon each day.
What is the magic trick?
Maybe this trick works for you too. I bought this 1-gallon motivational water bottle from amazon (affiliate link) to track how much water I am drinking each day. The water bottle also has these motivational quotes for extra boost.
- Good morning
- You’ve got it
- Remember your goal
- …
Here are the top 4 ways to build sustainable habits to hit your yearly goals.
1- Start small
Nothing is going to happen overnight. Stay away from shortcuts; in fact, you are harming your body in the long haul if you start to take more than your body can handle.
I did 300+ miles of strenuous hikes last year. I did not build stamina overnight; I am an avid hiker, but I even started to do 1–2 miles hikes a day.
Then gradually increased my level by supplementing on best-hiking snacks, hiking preparations, etc. Now I can easily hit 10+ miles without any issue. Always start at the micro-level to build your habit.
2- Embrace change
A new habit means you will change a bad one or add something own in your schedule. Change is not an easy task to do. Always take baby steps to embrace the change.
Example: Start taking the first step. Genuinely I am not particularly eager to go to gyms in confined spaces; I hate them. I trained my mind to go two times a week because 2–3 times I spent outside running or hiking. It’s working out perfectly fine.
Trick: Whenever I go to the gym, I always say that I will spend a max of 45 minutes here and do my best, then relax.
3-Do not procrastinate
Procrastination is the biggest enemy of new year resolutions; maybe try this 2-minute method to build a habit. If something is going to take less than 2-minute, do it right away, and if it’s going to take more than two minutes, start for minutes.
Sometimes we all need that extra push; 2-minutes push will help you stop procrastination.
4- Self-awareness
Sell-awareness is the secret to sticking to a new year’s resolution. Be 100% true to yourself; learn your strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness is your mirror to tell you what you need to improve. You are the only person who knows 100% of your abilities. You can make small changes and must say the progress is inevitable.
Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep going. — Lawrence Bossidy
Thank you for reading; follow me and clap a couple of times. Thanks
