Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Jan 26 - Flipbook - Page 8
Another reason could be they don’t fully
align with our values, as they might be
based on others’ resolutions rather than
our own. Also, sometimes, deep down,
we might be afraid of the hard work we
might need to get there. Studies suggest
that we’re more likely to want to achieve
a task if the action gives us a hit of
dopamine (the feel-good hormone). Our
brains release dopamine when we do
pleasurable activities like listening to our
favourite music, lounging in the sun, or
eating our favourite foods.
We’ve now discussed the negatives, but
this article is supposed to be
empowering. So, let’s find the positives in
making resolutions and explore how to
make your New Year’s Resolutions stick…
How to make your New Year’s
Resolution stick
Be realistic
So many New Year’s resolutions are
difficult to achieve from the outset. A big
sweeping pledge like “I’m going to run 10
km every weekend” when you don’t like
running is unlikely to come to fruition.
Instead, pick an activity you enjoy, like
taking long walks while listening to
music, and allow this to shape your goal.
Establish a level of accountability
When we complete a task we don’t enjoy,
it’s usually done because there’s a
consequence if we don’t do it. So, if your
goal is to stop procrastinating at work,
ask your co-worker to give you a friendly
nudge when you start staring at your
phone mid-morning. It’s also important
to reward yourself if you are achieving
your goals, so write down your targets
along with a reward – big or small – when
each target is achieved.
