Making Real Changes: Why resolutions don't work and what you need to do instead.

1/4/2016

Did you make a New Year resolution this year? If you did, it’s probably because you wanted to make a real change in your life and you wanted it to happen soon. And, if you are like most people, right about now, you are beginning to see the cracks in your resolve.

Maybe you hear the cookies calling your name and you debate if you should have just one. Or, perhaps you had a hard time getting up this morning to go to the gym, like you resolved to do every day.

If you feel your willpower slipping, don’t feel badly about yourself. The inability to sustain a commitment through willpower is not a moral issue—it’s a biological one. It is estimated that roughly 88% of New Year resolutions fail and there is a science, neuroscience to be exact, behind the reason.

Prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that’s responsible for the willpower. It is also the part of the brain responsible for problem-solving, short-term memory and focus. The prefrontal cortex’s capacity is taxed by day-to-day cognitive tasks which diminish its availability for willpower, according to Stanford’s researcher Prof. Baba Shiv. This is why...

Resolutions that are vague, grandiose, drastic and not translated into tangible small steps are doomed to failure. Tweet this.

So, what’s the answer?

How does one make real changes?

Make sure your goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time-specific). Having specific and quantifiable goals makes it easy for the brain to focus on action, which takes up less ‘cognitive load’ as Prof. Baba Shiv puts it and leaves bandwidth for motivation.

Make your goals PROCESS-oriented rather than results-oriented. Sure, you will still be working toward the ultimate end game, but it’s easier to stay focused if your actionable goal is to ‘exercise 3 times a week for 30 minutes’ instead of ‘lose 20 lbs’.

Another word for process goals—HABITS. Work on creating the habit that will create the results you seek.

A key ingredient in forming a habit—CONSISTENCY. A key to consistency—putting things on a calendar.

Make sure your efforts are sustainable. Sure, it’s a lovely idea to exercise for an hour each day, but if you haven’t exercised in a while, or you are working two jobs while going to school and raising children, you may not be able to sustain the daily commitment of time and energy.

Start small, take baby steps toward IMPROVEMENT, not perfection.

Work on creating the habit that will create the results you seek. Tweet this.

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves? Read Making Real Changes Part 2 for free or low-cost resources that can help you make SPECIFIC changes.

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