ask yourself why you are doing this

It’s uncomplicated in December, when there’s a lot of chocolate wrappers and leftover Christmas pudding, to decide to change your life when January rolls around. It’s a whole different story when January rolls around, bringing more darkness, more rain, and possibly more feelings. bad mood.

By now, it’s likely that any good intentions you had when browsing the Boxing Day sales on sports and leisure equipment, signing up for gym memberships or committing to joining a gym have been dashed. vegan from a month ago they started to fall into disuse.

Our lives don’t magically change on January 1st any more than any other day. Making a change takes work.

The key question to ask yourself when it comes to Novel Year’s resolutions is “why.” Why did you decide to change the things you have or do the things you have? What motivated you to do it and why do you want to achieve it?

If the answer is “I don’t know” or is related to pressure from other people or society in general (“I figure everyone’s joined the gym, so I should too”), chances are these resolutions won’t last.

Our research, which uses self-determination theory, has led us to this conclusion. This theory, based in psychology, tells us that motivation is key to continuing an activity, but that motivation must come from within us—be what is known as autonomous or internalized.

Find value in what you do

If you do something because you think others want you to, or because you want validation from others, you are unlikely to continue. If the activity is valuable to you or you enjoy it, you are more likely to persist, even in the face of setbacks and difficulties.

Consider an example. Many of the most common resolutions are related to physical fitness, an area well served by research on self-determination theory.

Some people may decide to join a gym or start running in January because they feel like they’ve overdone it with Christmas, or because an offer has popped up in their inbox and everyone seems to be doing it. However, they are much less likely to stick with the habit than those who make the same resolution because they feel like getting fit is essential to them.

This second group of people found value in physical condition what aligns with their own sense of what is essential, right for them, or what is likely to lead to a positive outcome they value. People who enjoy fitness are also more likely to continue doing it. If you think about the activities you engage in in your life, whether they are Novel Year’s resolutions or not, it will probably hit a nerve.

Fulfilling your goals

You may have set yourself specific purpose as a resolution – such as reaching a certain level in a language. Again, your success depends on how essential this goal is to you.

Think about Your reasons. If you think you “should” be able to speak another language, you may not last that long – especially once the novelty wears off and the effort required increases. If you’re preparing for a trip and think you knowledge of the local language helps you once you’re there, you’re more likely to maintain the habit – at least until you leave.

Whether you continue is another question, since you have achieved your original goal. Without another upcoming trip to the same destination, you may find that the habit you have created becomes harder to maintain.

With all this in mind, what can you do to keep your Novel Year’s resolution? Well, first, try and make it something you enjoy. If it’s not something you enjoy, think about what you can do to make it enjoyable before you start. If you’ve decided to get fit but the gym isn’t your thing, try something different – ​​maybe swimming, running or yoga.

If you want to learn a language but it turns out that it is hard work Instead of playing, try watching a TV series in the target language (with subtitles) or reading with a friend.

And make sure you do it for the right reasons. If you do something only for other people and not for yourself, your motivation will probably be lower quality and harder to maintain. A friend might have talked you into joining a gym, but if you start looking forward to the social nature of spinning classes, your motivation will become more internalized.

And one last note. If you find that your Novel Year’s resolution isn’t working, allow yourself to be flexible. There is nothing to stop you from changing your goals or postponing them.