Making New Year’s Resolutions work for you

It’s that time of year again and while many of us want to set some new goals for 2024 we may be discouraged by previous attempts that didn’t stick. 

While there's no perfect day to start a new goal, research says starting at a time that's meaningful to you can indeed help. Maybe it's your birthday, the start of the financial year, a fresh month or week, or just the buzz of a new year.

Experts call these times 'temporal landmarks,' and they're pretty good at giving us a motivational boost. But making that motivation stick around is the real challenge.

So, don’t listen to those who say there’s no point in starting New Year goals, and that resolutions don’t stick, the start of a new year can be powerful. So if January or the start of a new work year sounds meaningful to you, you should absolutely use that to your advantage. 

Let’s be “SMART” about them though. 

You’ll significantly improve your chances of success by applying these evidence-based tips.

1. View setbacks as learning opportunities

When you learn a new skill, you don’t expect yourself to be 10/10 straight away, so why do we expect behaviour change to be any different? We’re so quick to assume that we can’t do it just because we’ve given up or given in a few times at the start. Instead of letting this assumption get the better of you, work on reframing your setbacks as nothing but data. See it as the information you need for you to choose a better strategy. This takes the emotional response out of the equation and helps you to be better prepared next time, increasing the likelihood of success. 

2. Know your team

Whether it be whānau, your work community or engaging the services of a coach, social support does matter. As much as we think we can do this all on our own, the people we hang out with can have a strong influence on whether our goals are achieved or not. Reach out to your whānau and ask for help. And if you’re able to, working with an accredited health coach can play a huge role in your support system too. 

3. Don’t get caught out by false hope syndrome 

Many people who give up on their goals do so because of what is known as False Hope Syndrome. False hope syndrome happens when you are SO EXCITED to make improvements that you set extremely high standards for your lifestyle changes. Those goals become impossible relatively quickly and then we end up giving up.  Don’t let your excitement for change overshadow the actual change. Instead, break things down into smaller steps. 

4. Try tiny habits. 

Goals can be lofty at times, and as we now know, this can often set us up for failure. While we want to keep our overall goals, research suggests we break them down into ‘tiny habits’. Better yet, think about tiny habits you can anchor to something you already do without thinking. Some common suggestions could be to put your walking shoes on when you get home from work, practice a breathing exercise after brushing your teeth or cut some carrots up when you sit down to watch a movie.

5. Practice a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset 

Many of us know that we CAN shift our mindset, but old habits often die hard. Growth mindset or grit or resilience are all about nurturing a belief in ourselves, embracing goals and challenges, and turning slip-ups into learning opportunities. It's not easy to accept that failure is part of the process but that's often what it takes to embrace a growth mindset. 

Reframing a situation to see it from a different angle or reminding yourself that getting something wrong is part of the learning process is all part of this mindset journey.

How does Kiasma help? Kiasma’s workplace wellness programmes are designed to provide the perfect balance of smart tech and human support. Providing you and your team with intelligent goal-setting technology, habit tracking and personalised 1:1 human support from an accredited health coach. Get in touch with us at hello@kiasma.health or www.kiasma.health to learn more 

• Dweck, C. S. (2012). Implicit Theories. In P. A. M. Van Lange, A.  W. Kruglanski, & E.  T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of theories of social psychology (Vol. 2, pp.  23–42). London, UK: SAGE Publications Ltd.

• Dweck, C. S. (1999). Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press.

• Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological review, 95(2), 256.

• Elliott, E. S., & Dweck, C. S. (1988). Goals: An approach to motivation and achievement. Journal of personality and social psychology, 54(1), 5.

• Han, S. J., & Stieha, V. (2020). Growth mindset for human resource development: A scoping review of the literature with recommended interventions. Human Resource Development Review, 19(3), 309-331.

• Milkman, K. (2022). How to Change. Vermilion. ISBN: 9781785043734.