I was reading an interesting article earlier about how introducing new activities or habits can lead to greater success, when compared with giving things up.
The study by researchers at Stockholm University found that people who were working on achieving a goal by focusing on adopting new habits were 59% more likely to achieve their aims.
This makes a lot of sense in the light of New Years Resolutions too. Often we set goals that seem to punish our previous behaviours…especially those related to diet or exercise. We feel guilty or ashamed that we’ve overindulged or spent a little too much time in front of the TV. We’re also bombarded with images of ‘New Year New You’ that make us question whether we are doing enough.
So, it does seem much more likely that we would keep up a new healthier regime if we were kinder to ourselves and looked at creating and cultivating new positive habits instead.
Interestingly, the study also found that there was no significant difference in success based on the amount of external support that the participants received.
So if you are looking to make some positive changes this year, focus on the positive habits that you can introduce this month. Find activities that you enjoy doing, introduce foods and meals that are nutritious and healthy, but taste really good too. Commit to working on your CV or sign up to a job search website. Investigate a new hobby or start to plan that post-lockdown holiday.
Whatever you want to achieve, start small. But begin!
Photo credit: @dsmacinnes via Unsplash.com