We have all set New Year's resolutions and then felt the shame of failure as we return to our old ways a few weeks later.
“The beginning of a new year is ... filled with hope, ambition, and the excitement of a clean slate. You set goals, make resolutions, and dream of reaching the ambitions you set every year. But ... life gets busy, old habits creep in, and those big dreams [can] feel increasingly out of reach,” says executive coach Anja van Beek.
She advises:
- Call them evolutions instead of resolutions, and focus on growth and learning rather than perfection. Sustainable change comes from incremental changes that help you develop healthier habits;
- Forming a new habit takes time and consistency — you have to keep doing it until you have rewired your brain;
- Focus on the person you are becoming and not just your new behaviour;
- Consistency is more important than intensity, so commit to manageable goals you can achieve; and
- If you have many goals, begin with the easiest ones.
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