Happy New Year, GrasshoppHers! As we begin the second week of 2024, how are your New Year’s resolutions going? Whether you’re a resolution setter or not, we’ve got you covered with these tricks to keep you on track to achieving your goals. 

A resolution by any other name- goal, intention, or aspiration- really just embodies the belief that we can make a fresh start. It’s never too late to make a change for the better.  All goals depend on making small daily changes to your routine. Our brains are so good at creating routines that any change, no matter how small, can be very difficult. It’s why most new diet, exercise, and mindfulness resolutions fail. However, it’s not impossible to make lasting change. 

Start by coming from a place of hope, not fear. Strategies of intense self discipline based on fear- fear of never changing, never growing, never doing better- will fail 100% of the time, and can have really negative mental and emotional consequences. Strategies and goals centered around hope and self- understanding are more likely to see positive results. 

Setting a lasting resolution can be done in three easy steps:

Step 1: set a resolution (broad), then break it down (specific). What steps are you going to break your goal into? What does this look like on a daily/weekly basis? Getting specific makes your goal easier to break down into manageable steps that keep you on track. 

• Broad: “I want to read more this year.” Do you want to read a certain number of pages a night, or chapters a week? Maybe you want to read more books in a certain genre. How will you keep track of your progress?

• Broad: “I want to be more active.” What days work best for you to work out? What types of exercise do you want to do? Are you happy to work out by yourself, or do you like the appeal of a class? 

My resolution this year is to read more. More specifically, I want to read a physical book for at least 15 minutes every day. To accomplish this, I’ve been keeping a book in my bag so I always have one on hand. I’ve also been putting aside time at the end of my day to read and relax. Creating a book log for 2024 gives me a space to record my progress and stay motivated.

Step 2: Now that you’ve broken your goal into manageable chunks, connect your goal with something you already do. By ‘bridging’ your desired behavior with a preexisting one, you help integrate the new behavior into your routine. If you want to read for 30 minutes every night, make finishing dinner your cue. Explaining what you’re doing, out loud or mentally, also helps normalize the new behavior. “I’m done with dinner, so it’s time to read before I go to bed.” Bridging helps end the “I’ll do it later” mentality that kills so many resolutions.

Step 3: Reward yourself. You did the thing, and now you get a reward! When you accomplish part of your goal, take time to think about your success and how it made you feel. There’s a strong link between action and reward. These small mental rewards are like the pavers that combine to form larger reward pathways in your brain. This process creates a positive feedback loop that makes working towards your resolution easier as time goes on. The first few months of working towards your goal may not be easy, but sticking to small steps will help you succeed. It takes about 66 days to form new habits, so keep going!

Here are some more tips to keep you from getting overwhelmed and ditching your resolution by February:

• Just pick one! It’s easy to get caught up in the “New Year, new me” rush and end up deciding on a million resolutions. Realistically, most people are (maybe) able to accomplish one. Keep it simple. Pick new resolutions, too. Variety helps us grow, and trying to keep the same resolution year after year can discourage you before you even start.
• Check back in. Staying motivated in January will probably be easier than in July. Whether you write yourself a letter or set a reminder on your phone, check back in with yourself as frequently as you need to make sure you’re on track and remind yourself of the progress you’ve made so far. 
• Get support. Whether you need a gym buddy or a book club, making your resolution a group activity can be really helpful. Not only are you accountable to someone other than yourself, you’re also invested in someone else’s success and can help them with their goals. 
• Who says resolutions can’t be fun? Challenge yourself to do something out of the ordinary, like trying as many different pasta shapes as you can in a year, or attending all the different trivia nights offered at your local bars.

As you set out to conquer your New Year’s resolutions, remember that you have what it takes. Stay focused, celebrate small victories, and embrace the process. Your commitment is the key to unlocking a year of transformation and success. Here’s to a resilient and motivated you!