The third week of January is critical when it comes to New Year's resolutions. It is the week most of them die, according to the Wall Street Journal. Gym attendance declines, that commitment to eat better weakens, you know the routine.
The thing is, three weeks is barely enough time to give a resolution a chance to stick. A 2009 study by University College London found it takes about 66 days to develop a habit (Tweet this).
How can you stay committed to reaching your 2015 goals?
- Stay Focused. Being focused on a goal can help you reach it. How do you do that? Read blogs, websites, magazines and news articles about the particular area in which you're interesting in improving. Want to get in better shape? Read Shape or Women's Health. Want to cook healthier meals? Make Eating Well part of your regular reading. Shameless plug: sign up for The Real Skinny, a digest of diet and fitness tips for the real world, like this one. Or check out my blog every Monday for News To Help You Have A Healthier Week. Reading about it, helps you think about it and keep those goals present in your mind.
- Write It Down. Research repeatedly shows that writing down your goals helps you reach them. Failing to write your goals means you will forget them or won't focus on them. Put them somewhere you will see them every day. Here's a 2015 goals worksheet.
- Be Specific. Don't be vague in your goals. For example: "I will wake up by 6am five days a week" is one of my goals for 2015. That's a better and more specific goal than "I will wake up earlier this year". In fact, according to experts, being specific about when, where and how you will take action can set you up for success.
- Be Realistic. You probably won't lose 25 pounds in one month. Five pounds? That's doable. Don't set goals that are completely unattainable. Take it a step further and create that specific action plan (see above) for you to achieve this.
How You Doin'?
How are you doing with your 2015 goals? Are they too tough to attain or are you rolling along? Please share in the comments section.
Me? I am struggling with the wake up at 6am thing. I am getting up about 6:30am which is at least a step in the right direction.
