We all know that with the new year comes new year’s resolutions. And surely everyone must be aware of how the resolutions cycle goes. People start their year with extreme excitement and motivation, all prepped to bring positive changes in their lives with a long list of the habits that they’d try to adopt in the new year.

The first few weeks go by with them putting the utmost strength and effort into the New Year’s resolutions. However, as their life returns to normal with work and responsibilities, they find themselves missing days and falling back into the same old habits with zero improvements.

Are you someone that struggles with the same problem? Worry not, because in today’s article, you will read about some psychology-backed suggestions that will help you stick with your New Year’s Resolutions.

1. Pick Meaningful Habits

Walking into the new year, one must remember that the purpose of habits is to serve you, not for you to serve the habits. More often than not, people choose to pursue habits that hold no significant meaning to them, this turns out to be the cause of them giving up on their resolutions.

Instead of making resolutions with the mindset that you are supposed to, make resolutions that will genuinely mean something to you and benefit you in enhancing your life. This year, try to slowly build your habits, brick by brick with little and gradual improvements with time.

Kelvin Valerio/Pexels | Choosing meaningful habits that would enhance your life can itself be a huge motivation towards consistency

2. Gamify Your Habits

We all love to play games – and even more so – to win them. Winning is something that is an immediate reward for a person as well as a motivation to participate in more as well as better activities. A great way to stay consistent with your habits is by challenging yourself with your habits. Give yourself a goal to eat at least one fruit a day or beat your personal gym record.

By changing your life into a game, you will be giving your own self a psychological reward for every single win. Turn the built-in desire for reward in your brain into an asset and gamify your habits.

Tirachard Kumtanom/Pexels | Challenge yourself with your habits to stay consistent with them throughout the year

3. Hold Yourself Accountable

It seems that the people who have some sense of accountability are oftentimes the ones that are consistent with their habits. Accountability from external sources can turn out to be especially effective. A great way to get that is by considering announcing your resolutions on your social media platforms and giving frequent updates on your progress. Doing this will enhance positive peer pressure, which will motivate you to continue your resolution no matter how difficult it may be for you.

Pixabay/Pexels | Positive peer pressure can be achieved from making your resolution public and reading what people think about it

Cheers to an amazing new year!

Shirley Higgins