Statistically, a lot of you will have given up on your New Years Resolutions by now.
January 17th is “ditch your NYR day” because it’s the the peak time to give up. Have you bucked the trend? If so, you’re probably already following some of these tips.
If you’ve… paused… your resolutions for a few days and you’re ready to get back on the horse, perhaps some of these could help you.
Know your why
When the going gets tough, it helps to have a solid reason to keep going.
Not “I should be fitter”, but “I want to be able to run around with my kids without getting out of breath”, or “I want to wake up every morning without back ache so that I can fully enjoy life”.
Not “I should revise Japanese grammar”, but “I want to travel in Japan without having to rely on finding an English speaker, so I can explore off the beaten track”.
Image by Andy Leung from Pixabay
Not “I should”, but “I want to, because”.
Take five minutes right now to figure out your own why.
Get some accountability
Find someone who you can report to. A friend or partner who you commit to telling about the thing. A public commitment to post a report on (social media of your choice) every week. There are even apps now that will take payment and only return it to you if you complete your goal. If you don’t, they’ll send it to a charity you hate.
The worst-kept promises are the ones you make to yourself. It’s too easy to tell yourself that it doesn’t matter, just this once.
Bring your friends
That friend you found? Think how much more fun it would be if they were right there along side you.
Go for a run: tedious. Go for a run with a friend: a chance to catch up with the gossip.
Grammar exercises: tedious. Language practice with a real person: fun and engaging.
Learning a martial art: well, ok, that one’s fun anyway, but… Learning a martial art with a friend: double the fun!
As I write this, there are still a few days of January left, so why not take advantage of our Bring a Friend for Free offer and try out a class?
(And yes, in case you were wondering, I’m fully aware of the irony of writing this just after I wrote that New Year’s Resolutions are so last year. What can I say? I don’t like resolutions, but if you’ve made them I want you to succeed.)