10 Ways to Make New Year’s Resolutions Stick

There’s saying that goes “Happiness is a promise you make to yourself — and keep it.”

According to psychologists, self-improvement, or at least the desire for it, is a shared American hobby. It’s why so many of us — some estimates say more than 40 percent of Americans — make New Year’s resolutions.

For comparison, about one-third of us watch the Super Bowl.

But for all our good intentions, only a tiny fraction of us keep our resolutions, according to a University of Scranton study that suggests only about 8 percent of people keep their New Year’s promises to themselves.

”There is no other time where the phrase ‘hope springs eternal’ has more relevance than the new year,” Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, Ph.D., tells Newsmax Health.

“For centuries, human kind has used the new year to mark a transition out of bad behaviors into good ones. Yes, change is possible. We can leave unhealthy and unproductive habits behind, but most people over promise and under deliver.”

Shirly Gilad, clinical hypnotherapist from Boca Raton, Fla., and an expert in changing dysfunctional behavior, tells Newsmax Health that sticking to resolutions has a ripple effect.

“When you change a negative behavior or habit, it’s like throwing a pebble into a quiet pond that ripples wider and wider. Maybe you gave up sugar. Now your mood is better, your sleep has improved and you are losing weight,” she says.

“You are happier and calmer as a result and so are is your family. So New Year’s resolutions are not just about you. They can improve your relationships as well.”

Here are some 10 tips to help you make your resolutions stick:

1. Plan ahead. Don’t make a decision that the next morning you are suddenly going to start a new habit or eliminate an old one. Plan for it before hand. For example, if your promise to yourself is that you’ re going to join a gym, start visiting gyms in the weeks before you plan to start a new workout regimen, advises Gilad, and choose one that suits your needs.

2. Write it down. Hokemeyer recommends that his clients write down their aspirations so that they are grounded in reality not fantasy. “Seeing your promise on paper gives it substance,” he says.

3. Prioritize. Once you have written down your goals for the next year, pick ONE and only one to focus on for the next 90 days.

4. Give it time. Overnight success if a fiction says the expert. “It simply doesn’t exist,” says Hokemeyer.” Allow yourself to change slowly. Time is on your side.”

5. Set realistic goals. Dr. Marika Lindholm, Ph.D., a sociologist at the Department of Organization Behavior at Northwestern University and the founder of ESME (Empowering Solo Moms Everywhere) tells Newsmax Health that is important to make sure you can actually accomplish your resolution. “Don’t pledge to spend 25 hours at the gym a week if you have never worked out. Set a realistic goal and then when you reach it, aim for another.”

6. Establish rewards. Lindholm adds that resolutions may feel boring so it’s important to plan a reward for achieving goals, For example, after reaching a weight loss goal, buy yourself something fun to wear.

7. Have a sense of humor. Life is crazy and uncertain notes Hokemeyer. The best way to succeed in this world it to laugh at the ups and downs and don’t beat yourself up if you have a few setbacks along the way.

8. Partner up. Change is much more successful when we do it in partnership with another human being. Find a buddy who you can change with or perhaps keep apprised of your progress.

9. Journal. Lindholm recommends keeping a journal not only to monitor your progress but also to remind yourself what this resolution means to you and why you want to keep it. “Be honest about the challenges,” she says. “Even a short note each day makes the journey more meaningful and shows how far you’ve come.”

10. Pump yourself up. Self-fulfilling prophecies are powerful, says Lindholm. Psychology shows that if you expect to fail you will, and if you visualize and expect success it is far more likely to happen. Start each day by telling yourself that you can and will stick to your resolution.