Christmas has come and gone, the holiday ham has been devoured and there are no more Christmas movies showing on the television. 
You are probably now looking forward to the New Year and what it has in store for you. At this time of the year, many people make New Year’s resolutions that are designed to get them happier and healthier.
Let’s take a look at the most popular New Year’s resolutions, why people are unable to keep their resolutions and what you can do to keep your New Year’s resolutions.
ComRes did a poll and found the top ten New Year’s resolutions that people make each year.
- 38 percent of respondents said they would exercise more.
- 33 percent of respondents said they would lose weight.
- 32 percent of respondents said would eat healthier.
- 15 percent of respondents said they would try to lead a healthier life.
- 15 percent of respondents said they would learn a new skill or begin a new hobby.
- 12 percent of respondents said they would spend more time on improving their well-being.
- 12 percent of respondents said they would spend more time with their friends and family.
- 12 percent of respondents said they would limit their alcohol consumption.
- 9 percent of respondents said they would quit smoking.
- 1 percent of respondents said gave other New Year’s resolutions.
As you can see, most people made New Year’s resolutions to help improve their health or well-being. MoneyGuru.com said that you should also consider making some small changes to help improve your finances.
For example, limiting the number of times you go out to eat and other indulgences can help to improve your finances. Instead, create a weekly meal plan to help you save money and get healthier.
Other ways that you can save money and improve your health include cancelling your gym membership if you never use it. Instead, utilise free fitness videos on YouTube and take the stair instead of the elevator.
Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail
Bupa polled 2,000 Brits and found that those who made a New Year’s resolution in 2017 were not confident that they would be able to keep their resolution.
One in five respondents stated that the resolutions that they made were overly ambitious and unattainable. 58 percent of women reported that setting a more realistic goal would help them keep their resolution, while 45 percent of men agreed.
Respondents (26 percent of men and 21 percent of women) say that technology as well as treating themselves to, for example getting Shellac nails, every time they reached a milestone can help them keep their goals throughout the year.
How Can You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution?
At the beginning of the New Year, many people make resolutions; however, many fail to achieve their goals. According to Phillip Clarke, a psychology lecturer at the University of Derby Online Learning, the most common mistake that people make is setting a New Year’s resolution without making a plan on how they will achieve their goals. Dreaming of a great body or spending more time with your friends or family is the first step. However, you must create a plan with the steps needed to follow through.
Developing an action plan improves your confidence levels, creates less anxiety, increases concentration levels and gives you greater satisfaction, which helps to improve the likelihood of reaching your goals.
Setting a goal is just the beginning; however, it should not be the end. You want to evaluate your goals throughout the year and make sure that the steps that you are taking line up with your current situation. This allows you to keep your resolutions by especially if you are having difficulty attaining your goals.
If You Mess Up, Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Finally, if you experience difficulty in keeping your goals and mess up, learn from your mistake and begin again, remembering what you did so you do not make the mistake again. Each of these strategies will help ensure your success and help you reach all of your goals and New Year’s resolutions.
