It's almost April and 2023 is well underway. So how are those New Year's resolutions you made nearly four months ago going?
About 67 million American adults made resolutions to improve their health in 2021. By July of that year, 41% of them were not on track to reach their top goal.
Why do so many people abandon their goals? Or keep trying but fail to hit their target?
A key factor is how you perceive your resolution from the get-go. Stoking excitement and visualizing success is not enough. You also need to think like a strategist and draft a practical roadmap to guide you.
"The difference is how you frame your New Year's resolution," said Crystal Washington, a Houston-based technology futurist. "People who reach their goals are more likely to think about the 'how' than the 'what.' They focus on the process to get there."
To maintain your edge throughout the year as you continue to pursue your New Year's resolutions, keep refining your strategy by running experiments and assessing the results. How do you stay on track when you're tempted to give up?
Climb Each Rung To Resolution
Imagine that you are climbing a ladder as you set forth to make your resolution come true. You advance rung by rung.
For example, after you declare, "I want to lose 40 pounds," shift your attention to the mini-goals that will help you ascend to your big goal.
"It's magical thinking to just say you want to lose 40 pounds," said Washington, author of "One Tech Action." "Instead, think of the tools you'll need and the actions you'll have to take," such as joining a gym, working out at the gym five times a week, testing an intermittent fasting regimen and modifying your diet by, say, reducing sugar intake by 20%.
Get Specific With Resolutions
Once you research the steps you'll need to progress toward your goal, specify how you will know when you've successfully completed each step. The more detailed your milestones, the better.
"Make everything measurable," Washington said. "Attach a due date to each action step" and get started right away so that you don't race to catch up at the last minute.
Brace For Turbulence
The best New Year's resolutions don't rely on rosy assumptions where everything falls into place. Instead, they have built-in contingency plans for when things go awry.
"We tend to plan for what we want and expect, but not the hiccups, distractions and negative interactions," Washington said. "It's better to incorporate the likelihood of negative factors."
Identify three scenarios that can stymie your efforts and plan against them. That way, you are prepared if adversity strikes.
Cultivate Allies
You're more apt to abandon a resolution if critics and naysayers influence you. So choose your company with care.
"Look for positive, nurturing, nonjudgmental people," said John Norcross, distinguished professor and chair of psychology at the University of Scranton. "Avoid moralizers, the my-way-or-no-way types who might blame you."
Resolutions: Recover Fast
Pursuing an ambitious goal tests your grit. Success comes to those who persevere after inevitable defeats or disappointments.
"It's important to keep going," said Norcross, a clinical psychologist and author of "Changeology." "After the first slip or second slip, don't give up."
Separate Past From Future
If you've struggled with a New Year's resolution before, don't let your rocky history define you. Treat your new goal as a fresh start.
"We plan for the future based on the past," Washington said. "So you have to get outside of your own fears and apply future thinking. Look for signals of how the world is changing and ask, 'How might these patterns and signals affect my goal?' "
