There’s a lot of pressure to make New Year’s resolutions, but new research from Novo Nordisk finds that 43% of people who do give up on those goals within a month. A lack of motivation (41%) is the biggest reason they fail, followed by life getting in the way (39%), but some resolution-makers never even attempt their goal because they’re not ready to embrace change after celebrating hard for New Year’s Eve.
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According to one expert, there’s an easy way to boost your chance of success with your New Year’s resolution. Professor Benjamin Gardner, a psychologist and expert in habits and behavior change, recommends “soft-launching” your resolutions now to make them more likely to stick. He says by making small lifestyle tweaks in November or December, you’ll build your confidence and get to “test the water” on those new habits before doing it for real on January 1st.
Doing the soft-launch now also helps prevent the all-or-nothing mindset that can lead to frustration and failure. Gardner explains, “The key is all about readiness, so anything you can do before the change of the calendar year can help habits stand the test of time.” He says the benefits of soft-launching new habits before January include:
- Trial and error – You get to see if the goals are realistic and come with the positive outcome expected.
- Avoid the pressure – Making changes now can help ease social pressure that can lead us to cave.
- Small steps to success – Starting small helps build momentum for bigger changes.
- Mental clarity – Some people are in a better mental space to focus on changes before the end of year holidays than they are at the start of the New Year when they return to work and the stress that can come with it.⠀
Source: Talking Points⠀
