Every year, it's the same story: 'And you, what are your resolutions for 2024?' to which we just want to reply, 'What's the point if I'm never going to keep them?'
So, this year, it's a no. The resolutions we make, we keep! Studies show that making good resolutions isn't just talk.
In this article, we'll delve into these skills and provide top tips for setting resolutions that lead to increased productivity and overall well-being. Let’s get started!
Why Is It So Hard?
The key to managing choices and maintaining resolutions lies in a combination of personal discipline, willpower, perseverance, and self-control. Researchers explained the importance of developing specific skills to effectively keep resolutions, including self-control, planning, the ability to set priorities, tolerance of discomfort, and acceptance of effort. Things that few people actually do, and so abandon their resolutions.
The Foundation: Building Essential Skills
To successfully keep resolutions, cultivating essential skills is paramount. Researchers have identified five important skills to develop:
😮💨 Self-control
The ability to regulate one's behavior and make deliberate choices.
🗓️ Planning
Creating a roadmap for achieving goals.
🎯 Ability to set priorities
Identifying and focusing on the most important tasks.
😥 Tolerance of discomfort
Navigating challenges and discomfort without succumbing to them.
💪 Acceptance of effort
Acknowledging that achieving resolutions requires consistent effort.
7 Practical Tips for Setting Achievable Resolutions
📍 Specific Goals Lead to Success
Avoid overly evasive resolutions such as 'be more productive,' 'spend less time on my phone,' or 'lose weight.' They are too broad and not very motivating. Instead, set measurable goals that you can actually achieve. For example, 'spend less than 2 hours a day on my phone' or 'lose 3 kilos.' Even better is to associate a target date with it, such as 'spend less than 2 hours a day on my phone before February 2, 2024.’
🧹 Keep Your List Manageable
According to psychology professor Richard Wiseman, the key is to find ONE GOOD resolution that will lead to several new positive habits, such as: 'Losing 10 kilos means doing 3 sports sessions/week AND spending less than 2 hours/day on my phone.' Doing a sport will reduce screen time and help you lose the kilos you want. It's all linked! And it's much more motivating!
🤔 Conduct a Real Self-Assessment
Before embarking on resolutions, reflect on your successes and failures. Analyze your habits and lifestyle, ensuring your resolutions align with your values. Commit to genuine, lasting change.
👣 Take Incremental Steps
Just like a mountain climber doesn't conquer a peak in a single bound, approach your resolutions gradually. If you’re goal is to reduce screen time: set a realistic screen time budget and reduce it gradually, ensuring sustainable progress.
⏱️ Patience is Key: Give Yourself Time
Research suggests that habits take around 21 days to become ingrained in daily routines. Understand that deconstructing old habits and building new ones is a gradual process that demands patience and self-compassion.
📊 Reflect on Progress: Celebrate Small Wins
Learn to appreciate and look back at your starting point to acknowledge the progress you've made. Celebrate even the smallest achievements along the way. By recognizing progress, you reinforce positive behavior and build momentum toward achieving larger goals.
🎁 Results Aren't Everything
Transformation is a gradual process. Don't be disheartened if immediate results are not apparent. Focus on the improvements in your overall well-being and recognize the subtle, positive changes.
👀 Bonus Tip: Embrace Regular Exercise
According to a study by VU University Amsterdam, regular exercise not only improves happiness but also enhances the ability to keep commitments. Exercise contributes to increased physical and mental resilience, aligning perfectly with the pursuit of resolutions.
🔒 Use An App blocker or Screen Time Management Tool
Sometimes, we may require a little help. For this, you can download an app blocker that will allow you to block the apps of your choice for as long as you need. The most complete tool for iPhone is Jomo, available for free on the App Store.
With Jomo, you can block apps for specific time slots or set time limits on your most distracting apps. Additionally, you can link a blocking session to a focus mode, and we'll provide more details about this in the following article. Make your life your own!
By developing key skills, setting specific goals, and embracing gradual progress, you can increase the likelihood of success. Remember, resolutions are not just annual rituals but ongoing commitments to personal growth. Happy New Year 2024! 🌟
🔗 Forbes ; Very Well Mind ; Health Havard ; Study 1 ; Study 2
✋ Illustrations by Jomo ; Photography Unsplash
Made with love in Brittany