Did you know that the second week of February is the week when the most New Year's Resolutions get broken? I guess the novelty has worn off by this point and we're all fed up of 'being good'. But there are ways to kickstart that positivity and make those resolutions really stick.
The most important thing about a New Year's Resolution is their wording and your attitude towards it. We usually
set one in order to achieve something positive in our lives but, more often than not, they have negative connotations: "I will give up smoking" (even though I love it), "I will cut down on the amount of chocolate I eat" (even though I love it), "I will do more exercise (even though I hate it).... You get the picture.
No matter how much willpower we have, or how much we know we will benefit from the result, our brains aren't wired to continue doing something that's construed as having a negative impact on us. So how about reframing them? What is the result you want from your resolution? Do you want to do more exercise in order to get fitter? Then change your resolution to "I will do one additional active thing each day". Rather than giving up chocolate in order to eat more healthily, switch it to "Each day I will make one healthy eating choice". By focussing on achieving just one thing each day, it takes the pressure off for the rest of the day. Imagine having a healthy fruit breakfast instead of the kid's Cheerios, then spending the rest of the day smugly knowing you've made your healthy choice already.
More importantly, these small changes are more likely to turn into healthy habits. So after a couple of weeks, you will regularly be having fruit for breakfast, so will then make an additional healthy choice, with each becoming a building block towards a healthier lifestyle. And the best news is, your brain won't resist because you've framed it as a positive choice, rather than something negative you must endure.
So, have a mental check-in right now. When you think about your New Year's Resolution, how do you feel? If there's any sort of sinking feeling, or anything other than happy positivity, then think through the purpose, turn the wording on its head and give it a positive spin. Then give it another go! You don't need to wait for another new year; tomorrow is a new day, and a new hour is about to start, oh, and a new minute is literally a few seconds away....
Good luck! And if you need any help with the reframing, then just comment below or reply to my email. I'm sure we can come up with something that works together.
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