It’s January 3rd, 2018. Who has made New Year’s resolutions? Who is more motivated than ever before? And who has already given up the ghost? Let’s face it, resolutions are tough. So tough that I don’t usually keep them …. In fact, according to a recent New York Times report,
“Humans are notoriously bad at resisting temptation, especially (as research confirms) if we’re busy, tired or stressed. By Jan. 8, some 25 percent of resolutions have fallen by the wayside. And by the time the year ends, fewer than 10 percent have been fully kept.”
So how do we beat the odds? How do we slide into the 10% of devoted, determined, resolute among us.
As we begin 2018 and take stock of the previous year – the failures, successes, and what almost was – go ahead and make those resolutions. We’ve got some achievable ways to make them into habits. And if you are going to make the resolution into a habit, make sure it’s something really worthwhile! (And stick around for the one surprising trick that will really help you succeed …)
New Year’s resolutions
To keep your New Year’s resolutions, I encourage you to do the following:
- Make small resolutions. Choose something that can be achieved in only 30 days or less. It’s been said that if you can do something for 30 days, it will become a habit.
- Make the goals measurable and incremental. A lot of people say they want to lose weight. If you want it to stay off, then set the goal at 1 pound per week. That’s the healthy way to do it.
- Find a friend or hire a Coach. By finding a friend with the same goal you can keep each other accountable. Or hire a Life Coach or personal trainer. Sometimes a little motivation from an outside source can go a long way in helping you to achieve your goals.
But wait, there’s more.
Beyond these three easy steps (and they are important!) lies the secret … cultivating the social emotions of pride, gratitude, and compassion. Studies show that when we are more outward and relationship focused, the long term effects are beneficial to our OWN wellbeing.
“Pride, gratitude and compassion, whether we consciously realize it or not, reduce the human mind’s tendency to discount the value of the future. In so doing, they push us not only to cooperate with other people but also to help our own future selves. Feeling pride or compassion has been shown to increase perseverance on difficult tasks by over 30 percent. Likewise, gratitude and compassion have been tied to better academic performance, a greater willingness to exercise and eat healthily, and lower levels of consumerism, impulsivity and tobacco and alcohol use.”
That’s it. You can keep your New Year’s resolutions and make 2018 the biggest success yet. And for extra credit – Learn to swim with One with the Water! It accomplishes multiple resolutions all in one!
Or better yet, be a compassionate hero to the most vulnerable members of our community. When you donate to One with the Water, you keep children safe by helping us provide the lifesaving skill of swimming. Our nonprofit foundation offers need based scholarships to low-income families, children with special needs, and service disabled veterans.
Donate TodayFrom all of us at One with the Water®, we wish everyone a very prosperous and happy 2018!
Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.