How I try to make my resolutions stick.
Research conducted in the UK suggests that less than 8% of resolutions survive to the end of January.
So I’m going to presume I’m no different from everyone else. I ask myself one question when I’m trying to change a habit.
What is the least I have to do to make this change?
So what are people doing that make their resolutions so hard to keep? Indeed, the ones I have failed to keep have had three characteristics:
- Changing a habit: The habit I want to change is too engrained, and the change I want to make is also significant.
- Creating a new habit — the new practice is just too hard to achieve, like wanting to climb Everest before I’ve climbed the hill at the back of the house.
- The environment around me is just not conducive to make that kind of commitment. During the Pandemic that environment has offered new opportunities.
So how do I set myself up for success? Dr BJ Fogg at Stanford University describes how changing a habit is to make the minimum viable effort to achieve the change. Here is my way of doing just that:
Firstly, I define the Goal/resolution in a SMART way:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound.
Secondly, I rewind the change required to a bare minimum; this is what minimum amount of work, a ridiculously low amount, so there’s no excuse not to be consistent.
Finally, I rewrite the Goal:
- What’s the minimum I can do?
- Set the measurement to be as little as possible
- Make the achievement of the good as easy as possible
- Understand the relevance of the change, what am I doing it, is it that vital t to me.
- Find a simple way of reminding myself to do it.
- I tell family and friends of the change I’m trying make, I find that they can be great motivators.
Here is an example of a Resolution for this year:
- Walk every other weekday
- for a minimum of 30 Mins
- during 1 hour a day, I have allocated to this task
- I’m doing this to; get away from my desk, become fitter, and set myself up for a more significant challenge later in the year.
- Check my progress using Strava or another app.
I plan on making it to the middle of February, and if I get there, I may think about increasing the target.
