07 Jan 2020 How To Make Your New Year Resolution Stick
In this article, I’ll share a science-based approach to making your New Year Resolution stick.
Scientists have shown that willpower alone will not do it.
To make our resolution stick we need a deliberate methodical approach, which includes the evidence-based ingredients that will increase the probability of making our new behavior take hold.
Also, if you’d like to further explore how Professional Coaching can help you implement a New Year Resolution that you will be proud of, please contact me at Uri@thewilltochange.com
I will use three examples throughout the article, to illustrate the concepts.
The Behavior
First, you have to design in detail the specific behavior you want to habitualize.
Example 1 – You may want to start going to the gym twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Your specific plan may include waking up at 5:45, leaving the house at 6:15, getting to the Gym at 6:45 and working out until 7:45, then getting ready to leave the gym at 8:15and being at work by 8:45 or 9:00.
Example 2 – You may want to eliminate the sweets you normally eat after dinner.
Example 3 – You may want to dedicate one hour every Sunday evening, from 8:00 to 9:00 PM to strategizing and planning your week ahead.
The Reward
Next, you have to figure out what will be your reward from practicing your new behavior.
The reward should be meaningful – something that will bring you considerable pleasure and satisfaction. Remember – at our very core, we are driven by our desire for pleasure and our fear of or dislike for pain or discomfort.
Example 1 – You may like the feeling from the boost in endorphins(runners’ high) you’ll experience after an intense aerobic exercise, or you may like the muscular look you’ll develop after a few months of weight training. You should find ways to build your awareness of, and appreciation for these pleasurable rewards.
Example 2 – If you want to lose some weight, appreciate feeling “lighter” and looking healthier, you should develop a self-talking narrative that emphasizes the positive emotions that will follow your successful practice of the new sweet-less behavior.
Example 3 – Your reward for spending time strategizing and planning on Sunday evening, could be the feeling of being in control of your activities and achieving your desired outcomes for the coming week. Here also, you can develop the self-talking narrative that will enhance your appreciation of the results of your new planning habit.
The Cue
Now you should design cues and triggers that will prompt you to practice your new behavior.
Example 1 – You may setup wakeup calls on your phone to remind you to get up at 5:45. Or you may set up a human wakeup call service, which may cost you a little but will be a lot more effective. You may also place your gym bag on the driver seat of your car the night before, so it will be difficult to ignore.
Example 2 – You may place large reminder notes in front of your dinner table saying “No Sweets After Dinner”.
Example 3 – You may block Sunday nights in your calendar and set up reminders on your phone for your 8:00 PM planning hour.
The Enabling Conditions
Next set up enabling conditions that will help you practice your new behavior.
Example 1 – You should avoid scheduling early morning meetings at work, choose a gym that is easy to get to in the morning, and/or choose group gym classes (such as spinning or Zumba) which will encourage you to attend.
Example 2 – You should simply stop buying sweets – do not even get them into your kitchen pantry. Go food-shopping after eating at home, so you are not tempted to buy the sweets in the first place.
Example 3 – Never invite friends over on Sunday nights. And/or schedule your planning time after Sunday night football, if you like to watch the football in season.
Your Accountability Partner
Research shows that implementing your new behavior with the help of an Accountability Partner will significantly increase the probability of achieving your desired goal.
Find someone who shares the same goal and agree on specific ways she or he will support you in habitualizing your new behavior, and how you will support her or him.
Example 1 – You may agree with your Accountability Partner to make the wakeup call and to drive to the gym together in the same car.
Examples 2 & 3 – Working with an Accountability Partner who lives with you, such as your spouse or roommate has been shown to be particularly effective, especially if you are sharing the same goals. Accordingly, you may agree with your spouse or roommate on the manner in which she or he will support you in habitualizing your new behavior
Your Habit Journal
Finally, starting a Habit Journal to record your experiences in practicing your new behavior will help increase the probability of success even further.
Scientists found that recording our experiences in writing, helps our brain memorize and habitualize the new behaviors faster.
It should not take more than 5 or 10 minutes every night before you retire for bed.
First, you should log whether you practiced your desired behavior. Ideally, you should do it in a way that will help you look at trends in your practice. You may wish to find an App that will help you with this.
Next, record the emotions you experienced during and after you practiced. Pay particular attention to the extent to which you experienced your desired reward. This will help your brain link the behavior to the reward during the REM phase of your sleep.
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I hope that this practical approach to making your New Year Resolution stick will be helpful to you.
If you’d like to further explore how I can help you design and implement your 2020 New Year Resolution, please contact me at Uri@thewilltochange.com
