You are finally done with your turkey, TV is not showing Christmas movies anymore - and the big box of chocolates are all eaten (except for the coconut candies).
Now your attention is focused on the upcoming year and those pledges that so many of us make to improve ourselves over the next 12 months ahead.
In this article, we will be examining the 10 most common New Year's resolutions, the reasons why most people fail with them, and how your chances can be maximised that you don't give them up by February.
The 10 most common New Year's resolutions, according to a recent ComRes poll are:
- Do more exercising (38 per cent)
- Lose some weight (33 per cent)
- Eat healthier (32 per cent)
- Be more proactive with their health (15 per cent)
- Learn a new hobby or skill (15 per cent)
- Spend additional time on their personal well-being (12 per cent)
- Spend additional time with friends and family (12 per cent)
- Consume less alcohol (12 per cent)
- Quit smoking (9 per cent)
- Enrolling on a distance learning course by Brighton School of Business and Management (1 per cent)
Although a majority of individuals attempt to do something about their well-being or health, experts from the comparison website, MoneyGuru.com, recommend that making a couple of small changes can improve the health of your bank balance.
For instance, reducing your amount of takeaways (and other small indulgences like glasses of wine) and making a meal plan instead for the entire week can also help you save money.
Some other tips include getting rid of that expensive gym membership you never use and go for walks, take the stairs rather than the lift instead and watching YouTube fitness videos (for free!).
Why Do So Many People Fail at Their New Year's Resolutions?
Bupa published a poll of 2,000 British individuals that found those who stated that would be setting 2017 New Year's resolutions, that half of them were not confident that they would be sticking with them.
In a bid for countering this, 52 per cent stated that setting more achievable, small goals can help them stay on track with their New Year's resolutions.
About one in five individuals admitted as well to setting goals that were potentially unsustainable and overly ambitious. A higher percentage of women (58 per cent) compared to men (45 per cent) said that setting more realistic and smaller goals help them stick with their New Year's resolutions, and more men (26 per cent) compared to women (21 per cent) stated that the key to helping them stay on track with their goals is technology.
What Can I Do to Accomplish My New Year's Resolutions?
At the beginning of each new year, numerous individuals set new goals but just a few of them go on and accomplish them.
Psychology lecturer Philip Clarke from the University of Derby's Online Learning states that the biggest mistake made by many people is that they identify what they would like to achieve but then they don't think about how to achieve it.
Clarke said that people set long-term goals like achieving a 'dream body' or spending more time with their family as their starting point, and those sound like they are good goals. However, the problem is the goal-setting process stops there for many people.
He added that people who create action plans experience greater satisfaction, improved concentration, more confidence, and less anxiety, about achieving their goals and also are a lot more likely to be successful.
Setting a goal definitely should be the starting point, but it isn't the end. It is important to ensure that you evaluate and monitor your goals based on what your current situation is and that is based on what your original goals are. That will enable you to make them harder if they are too easy, or easier if you are struggling with keeping your goals challenging and realistic.
If you do not achieve your goal, don't beat yourself up too much.
Finally, if you run into any barriers and fail to meet a couple of your short term goals, it won't be the end of the world for you. Do your best to learn from the situation and be sure to not make the same mistake again. That will help with the third tip since you will have more experience that will help you create new achievement strategies.