Creating a New Year’s resolution strategy

young people cheering

At the start of each year plenty of us make New Year’s resolutions, but how many stick to them?

Some 25 percent of people typically don’t even make it through the first week of the year, and more than half of resolutions are broken within six months, according to University of Scranton research. Sticking to a New Year’s resolution isn’t easy, – after all, 365 days can be a long time – but it’s not impossible. In fact, you’re 10 times more likely to hold your resolution through the year just by “explicitly” making it, the researchers noted.

Do you have a New Year's Resolution strategy? Planning rewards, training self control and setting baseline goals will help.Do you have a New Year’s resolution strategy? Planning rewards, training self control and setting baseline goals will help.

If you’re like most people, your promise to yourself is probably pretty important. Many people resolve to lose weight, spend more time with their families, quit smoking and live life to the fullest. If you’re dead set on keeping your New Year’s resolution this year, there are a few ways you can help yourself:

  1. Stick with one per year

    You may be tempted to change your whole life in one fell swoop with pile of promises, but that can be too much. Instead, stick to one New Year’s resolution and focus on it over the next 12 months, Lifehack suggested. And when you choose one, make sure it’s achievable. Resolving to be a billionaire by the end of the year is typically a tough one to stick to, unless your fortune is closing in on $999 million.

  2. Practice self control

    ​The more you work on your self control, the better you’ll get it at, a University at Albany – State University of New York research wrote. It’s sort of like a muscle that way – you have to work it repeatedly to get better at it. Practice little exercises such as refraining from sweets for a week to give your self control the work out it needs.

  3. Pick a baseline

    Pick a baseline goal to tie to your resolution, Forbes explained. For example, if you hope to lose weight consider why. Fat reduction can help you feel healthy and more comfortable with yourself. That overall well-being would be your baseline goal. This target should be something you maintain past the 365-days of your resolution.

  4. Reward yourself!

    Plan little rewards for each week that your successful, to motivate yourself, Lifehack suggested. As you get further into the year, start spacing the rewards out. After all, you deserve it!

It’s tough to keep a promise for 52 weeks, if one you made to yourself. Luckily, there are techniques to ensure you’re able to hold your New Year’s resolution for all of the some 31 million seconds in 2017. By setting clear and attainable targets, practicing self control and rewarding yourself along the way, you’ll stand a much better chance of holding your resolution.