Live the life you want in 2015

You can do it―your health, wealth and happiness can flourish in the New Year.

Research shows that new years’ resolutions are worthy of serious consideration—if you make resolutions, you’re 10 times more likely to change things than if you don’t[1].

But 92% of new years’ resolutions fail to be realisedaccording to research[2]. The good news is 8% of people do go ahead to achieve their goals―so how do they do it?

Three strategies for lasting change

Whether you want to improve your health or your finances you can give yourself a good chance of success—consider these strategies.

The process of change is complex; it doesn’t usually progress in a straight line. If you slip back into old ways of doing things, just keep at it.

1. Break goals into milestones

With an overarching goal in mind—to go overseas or lose weight, for example—make a plan to achieve individual milestones throughout the year.

Say you’d like to save $10,000 for an overseas Christmas trip. You can break your goal down into specific actions:

1. Use a budget planner to work out the costs of your trip, including airfares, accommodation, food and a bit extra for good measure.
2. Establish a dedicated savings account.
3. Plot your pay days on a calendar and set-up automatic deposits for the year—say $385 each fortnight you’re paid.
4. Mark on the calendar the day you’ll have enough for your flight.

Throughout the year you can watch your savings grow and come Christmas time, you’ll be ready to pack!

2. Make goals specific and measurable

With obesity rates in Australia climbing faster than anywhere in the world[3], many of us are focusing on health and wellbeing. But a broad resolution to lose weight will not be as easy to attain as a plan to specifically avoid sugar and fast food for six weeks.

Likewise, rather than saying you’d like to go to the gym in 2015, set a clear goal like one spin class or weights session every Tuesday—and book yourself in. Once you’ve experienced the benefit of regular exercise you’ll find it easier to make time for more.

3. Don’t wait for the right time—start now

One of the biggest reasons resolutions fail is because they’re never put into action. Keeping your goals simple and measureable helps you create action plans, but putting the plan in place is one of the keys to setting up healthy new habits.

Set your start date—you may want to put a reminder in your phone—and even if you don’t feel up to it on the day, take the first step anyway. Give it a go!

The power of now

It’s time to start thinking about the things you’d like to change. What really matters to you? You can live the life you want and begin working towards it now—it’s up to you!

 

 

[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/louise-firth-campbell-/post_6564_b_4602842.html.

[2] Research conducted by the University of Scranton: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/louise-firth-campbell-/post_6564_b_4602842.html.

[3] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-29/australian-obesity-rates-climbing-fastest-in-the-world/5485724.

 

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