Words: Lara Pacillo // Photos: Francesco Patrinostro
The new year is here and with it may come pledges to a better you.
It’s going heavy on all good intentions, and a handshake to self-improvement; but with 80 per cent of Australians failing to commit after the first month, New Year’s resolutions may feel like a set up for failure.
New Year’s resolutions are most common for younger people, with 91 per cent of Gen Z setting at least one. Maybe we’re more optimistic about the future, or maybe more of us think we can break the vape.
Adelaide Behaviour Analyst Anastasia Napoli says it could be either, but ultimately, we don’t need to wait for a new year to be able to action change.
“A lot of people use a new year as an excuse to start fresh,” she says.
“It’s that mindset of ‘I’ll start Monday, I’ll start on this date’; but people tend to have less success when they do that instead of just starting tomorrow.”
Anastasia says goal setting is a good thing and successful people make a habit of it, but the effect of not reaching these goals is dependent on the type of person you are.
“It can obviously be pretty disheartening,” she says.
“Maybe you’re a perfectionist and the idea of not meeting your goal is a character flaw — that could have huge impacts on your mental health.
“Whereas for others, maybe you can’t even remember your goal and that you didn’t achieve it.”
While there’s no universal formula to guarantee an achieved New Year’s resolution, Anastasia share’s some tips on how to help you stick to yours.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
“The most important thing for behaviour change is motivation,” Anastasia says.
“Think if something is added to your life because of it.”
Find the drive. If you’re resolution is based on running, do you want to beat your personal best, or do you simply love the endorphins of it?
SMALL STEPS
Breaking your resolution into smaller goals makes it more attainable.
“If your baseline of exercising is nothing, then don’t expect yourself to be able to jump to four times a week and maintain that,” Anastasia says.
“You’re going to be far more successful if you’ve got really small achievable steps, even if your first step is super super easy for you.”
CELEBRATE LITTLE WINS
When you reach your little goals, enjoy a little treat.
“If you ran for one minute longer than you did last week, celebrate it,” Anastasia says.
“Maybe you reward yourself by going to see your friends. Enjoy something that’s important to you.”
SMART GOALS
“I hated these at Uni, but they work,” she laughs.
Make sure your resolution is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. That way you can see if you’re being realistic and if you’re keeping on track.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself.
“People need to remember that life is busy and chaotic,” Anastasia says.
“If you aren’t on track for a month, that doesn’t mean that you’ve failed — that just means it wasn’t achievable in that month.
“You can then make a change when you have more emotional space or time.”
