You may not have managed to stick to all of last years resolutions but does it really matter?
Old habits die hard and it really is tough to stick to something new or change the way you live for an entire year. Apparently, there is a science to keeping motivated and sticking to your 2018 goals.
– Choose Your Resolutions Carefully
In a psychological experiment by researchers at Florida State University, a group of volunteers was instructed to eat a tray of chocolate chip cookies while another group was told to resist the cookies and eat radishes instead. All volunteers were handed out an unsolvable geometry puzzle.
Those who ate the radishes gave up more quickly than those who ate the cookies, suggesting that willpower is not an unlimited resource.
Roy Baumeister, who conducted the study, told The Guardian ‘little acts of self-control, such as resisting a desire, making yourself do something you don’t want to, not going to the bathroom when you need to…all of these are a drain on your willpower.’
So next time you reach for that cake, just do it.
Your motives for quitting a habit or starting something matter more than we think they do. Personal motivation rather than outsider motives will naturally make you perform better.
– Treat Yourself
Relying on willpower may simply not be enough for some so set yourself a time limit with a reward at the end of it.
– Think Of The Money
Why not use a website/app like StickK to help you achieve your goals by acknowledging your goal, defining it and leveraging the power of putting money away to achieve that goal.
With StickK you sign a commitment contract with yourself and can choose any goal you like. It can be anything from finally clearing out your wardrobe to training for a marathon.
Financial stakes increase your chances of sticking to something by up to three times.
– Not Working?
Temporal landmarks help us leave our past failures behind and move on to a fresh start. 80% of us give up on our New Years Resolutions but don’t just brush it under the carpet and forget about it.
Wait until Monday and start again.
