Photo by iStock/Olena Sakhnenko
Make your New Year’s resolutions realistic and it’s more likely that you’ll stick with them.
Here are some tips from the American Psychological Association to make it easier to keep your word.
Change one behavior at a time.
We create unhealthy behaviors over time. So, implementing healthy ones won’t happen overnight. Work towards changing one small thing at a time and, over time, those big changes will take place.
Talk it out.
Don’t go at this experience alone. Join an online quit smoking group. Meet a buddy for a walk. Your journey will be easier and more manageable if you have someone by your side.
Don’t expect perfection.
Go easy on yourself. It’s totally normal to have some mishaps and missteps along the way. When the time comes, don’t beat yourself up if you ate a cookie and broke your diet. Perfection is impossible.
Think small.
Goals should be attainable and reasonable. Don’t say you want to lose 30 pounds in 2021. Instead, set a small, specific and concrete goal, like one pound per week. You’ll have something tangible to achieve and keep you motivated.
Visit apa.org.