Achieve New Year’s goals with science
Science has shown that there are tools that can help you work towards your objectives, whether they are to lose weight, acquire a new skill, save more money for retirement, or have more free time.
Starting something new is often more inspiring than other times, especially on New Year’s.
So each Monday represents a tiny fresh start. The advent of spring and a birthday are both new beginnings.
All of those opportunities for a fresh start offer us hope for our potential.
Therefore, the majority of us will select a goal that is very long-term and abstract, such as I want to lose weight or I want to practice meditation more often.
The next step is to break it down and determine what manageable task you can do this week, as well as when and where you will be able to carry it out.
Let’s say I decided to try learning Spanish on Duolingo to achieve my aim. I must now consider my practice schedule and how many hours I want to put in each week.
According to research, we are around 10% more likely to make progress each week when we think about how much time we’re going to devote to a goal each week rather than over a year.
According to research, we won’t persevere if our goals aren’t enjoyable to pursue.
We should try to find a way to make it pleasurable, whether by combining it with something else we adore or by just going about it in a new way.
Going to a Zumba class rather than using a piece of strenuous exercise equipment and it matters if those around you support you and give you confidence boosts rather than criticizing you.
That makes going to school more enjoyable. But it’s different when you want to stop doing something.
In this situation, your goal should be to make engaging in unhealthy activities more expensive.
You may utilize a commitment device, which is a highly counterintuitive strategy, by effectively putting money on the line or giving up something else you value if you don’t succeed in your objective.
You’ve now increased the cost of failing to the degree that you may opt to act in your long-term best interests at a greater expense.