The start of a new year naturally feels like an opportunity to reset our lives.
It’s why about half of adults resolve to do things better when the calendar turns to January. We set our sights on making important lifestyle changes that will improve the new year and leave us feeling more accomplished and more effective.
At Premier Property Group, our goals are similar. We’re striving to serve our community better and increase our global reach. And we want to equip you—our agents and customers— with the premier services that help you aspire to live your best life.
So how do all of us increase our odds at success?
Begin by recognizing that the most common resolutions usually involve changing habits, and those habits are automatic behaviors. The unfortunate reality is that statistics suggest only 8% of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions!
Yet, our lives are full of habits that we developed without even trying very hard, so it IS possible to establish new ones. It simply involves a bit of science.
1. Attach your new habit to an existing habit. Science suggests that change stems from creating new habits in place of the old ones. If you attach your new habit to something you’re already habitually doing, you’ll increase the odds of adopting it into your routine. You’ll also find that small changes are much easier to maintain than sweeping changes like “exercise every day.”
2. Make one change at a time. If your goal is to be healthier, don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to make multiple changes at once. Focus exclusively on implementing one change at a time, and use small successes as motivation to move on to additional changes. Set metrics and personal goals and benchmark against those daily. Once a goal is achieved, you will know it’s time to move on to the next change.
3. Share your goal with someone else. Accountability works. Conversely, it’s easy to ditch your resolutions quickly if you haven’t invited anyone to help you stay on track. Friends or coworkers who know you’re trying to eat healthy can support you by recommending healthy food spots for lunch or ditching the midweek donut run. You may also find that others can benefit from your accountability.
4. Don’t limit yourself to January. Fitness centers are crammed with well intentioned people in January, and less crowded as the year wears on. If you stumble in your new habits or you lapse into your old ones, don’t wait an entire calendar year to get back on the wagon. Choose one small change to make, attach it to an existing habit, and then rally your support network to help you succeed.
You’re going to create new habits this year, sometimes without even meaning to. Be intentional about the habits you adopt and seek small improvements that turn to small successes.
Let’s make this a great year.