Body & Fitness

Three ways to make New Year’s resolutions stick

Linking a change to a meaningful time of year really can make you more likely to keep doing it, so New Years is a great time to do something new.
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New Year’s resolutions aren’t doomed to fail – linking a behaviour change to a meaningful time of year really can make you more likely to keep doing it.

Here’s how to increase your odds of success even further.

Stick to one or two

Research proves the brain can’t handle working on too many resolutions or changes at the same time, so the fewer, the better. Choose a couple that matter most to you this year.

Be specific

Research proves that a resolution of, say, ‘cooking as many meals as possible from scratch’ has more chance of sticking than ‘eating healthier’. It’s the same end goal, but a more detailed method.

Hang in there for 42 days

If you do something at least four times a week, after six weeks it’s much more likely to stick as a long-term habit, say researchers.

For more information, see the January issue of Good Health Choices

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