How To Make New Year’s Resolutions & Keep Them!

As we inch towards the end of this year, let’s look at some resolutions for 2023 and the endless opportunities for new beginnings.

You can derive many benefits by taking some time to set your resolutions. It will help you take the perspective of your life experiences this year and recognise what you need or want from your future. Setting new year’s resolutions is also known to help motivate and inspire you to action and provide a sense of direction and stability.

But, as exciting as the prospect of resolutions is, it can be daunting too, as you may have failed at keeping them in the past. A study on new year’s resolutions found that only 55 per cent of people sustained them by the end of the year.

Why is it so difficult for us to follow them? Many psychologists and human behaviour researchers suggest that the problem often lies in how we approach the resolutions, even giving up on them too soon.

Here are the steps that you can follow to approach your new year’s resolutions with clear expectations and actually follow them this time:

Set realistic goals and plans

Did you ever plan to adopt a fitness routine (one of the most common resolutions) without realising what fitness may mean for you? To make the best of new year’s resolutions, note down what you want and be realistic about your expectations of yourself.

For instance, instead of aiming for a well-toned body or being entirely illness-free, you can instead resolve to go for a jog at least five days a week and schedule regular medical appointments to keep track of your well-being. Kenko can help you through its feasible health plans to keep with your wellness resolutions.

Take small steps

The biggest hurdle you may face is to be patient and stay on track. You may start the first day of the new year by eating salads for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to fulfil your resolution to eat better and healthier.

But it may deter you from continuing it for more than a few days. Instead of such drastic changes, start making small steps and gradual changes in your diet, for example, by reducing your sugar intake and adding some greens to your meals.

Learn from the past

Referring to other people’s experiences can be helpful. But at the end of the day, you are your best example. Why did you stop learning that foreign language last year? Instead of resolving to try it out again, figure out why it did not work.

You may not be interested in it, or you did not make time to schedule a lesson every day. Similarly, look at your past successes to learn from your example and make a plan best suited for you.

Have a support system

Avoid working on your resolution in isolation. Talk to your partner, family members, and friends, and involve them in the process. They can be your support system cheering for you and even holding you accountable.

You can also seek their help. If you have resolved to learn how to cook, ask your friends to come over and cook with you. It can make the process fun and help you keep up with your resolution.

Reward yourself

We tend to judge ourselves too harshly. As a result, you may want to give up on a resolution just because it looks like an uphill task you can never accomplish.

You can avoid this entrapment by enjoying and rewarding yourself for every little milestone. It can even mean a cheat day to take a break.

Adapt and make changes

While a new year is an opportunity to start working on your goals, you can not anticipate the future. Be open to changes in your plans and resolutions depending on the changed circumstances.

If you resolve to go vegan but do not find meat and dairy substitutes in your supermarket, take a step back and include a few vegan options in your diet. Be flexible and keep on working on what you started.

Follow this quick cheat sheet to keep your new year's resolutions:

New Year's Resolution Dos	New Year’s Resolution Don’ts
Aim for goals that improve your physical, mental, and emotional health outcomes.	Don’t resolve to change a big aspect of your life at once.
Stick to your resolution even when it gets difficult, and seek any support or help you may need.	Don’t delay the action, as it may lead to constant procrastination.
Enjoy the process, mark small achievements and reward yourself.	Don’t be hard on yourself, be patient with the process because it may take some time to see the results.
Accept things out of your control and focus on persistence and adaptation instead of absolute perfection.	Don’t compare yourself with others. Your journey is going to be unique. Don’t make a resolution just because others are doing it too.
Make new resolutions in the middle of the year. Who’s stopping you?	Don’t stop trying. You are capable of working on your resolutions!

As long as you are making resolutions to be healthy, you should get a health plan too. The Individual Plan from Kenko is the best thing you can get for yourself as you get flat 50% off on doctor fees, medicines, lab tests and more.