There are many reasons New Years Resolutions fail. However, the most common challenge is to keep the work going that we start with. It is all about building a habit. Thus, let’s look at some ways we can start simple to help ourselves in creating a habit that leads to that resolution success.
Start Simple To Build a Habit
We often seem to struggle with building good habits. However, the science points to it being something we should be able to do. The key is in creating a pattern that we enjoy repeating. The steps are pretty simple: cue the action, do the activity, enjoy a reward. I am simplifying, but those three steps will work for us.
Our new habit is just a recurring action we want to take. This holds whether it is a few minutes of exercise, time spent learning, or developing a skill. Before we start, define that action. It should be something that is well-defined and easy to assess as done (or not). You can include repetitions or time amounts like ten sit-ups or fifteen minutes of reading. Those constraints will help you define whether it has been done or not.
Set a Reward
A habit is easier to establish when you have a reward that pays off early and often. Since many habits require a substantial investment before a pay-off (think stronger muscles from exercising or skills mastery), we need to create some rewards earlier in the process. The long-term gain is likely to be enough that you can have a reward almost as big as the habit gain. For example, treat yourself to 15 minutes of relaxing after 15 minutes of learning or a higher calorie meal after exercising.
The rewards can remain, or you can cut back on them as the habit solidifies into place. This approach gives you a reason to keep up the repetition early on. That is where a habit is developed. I have used this link before. However, this is a great article to give yourself ideas about how to reward yourself.
Steady Progress and Momentum
We have looked at how little steps can lead to a long journey. This is the case with our habits as well. Our New Year’s Resolution can be a rather lofty goal. However, when we break it down into daily increments, that impossible goal becomes far easier to imagine and achieve. Take advantage of doing a little work every day to not only achieve your dreams but also to set good habits in place for future achievements. All you need to do is start simple in your new tasks.
