Why people don't keep their new year's resolution: Part 2 - Creating Desirable Change

If you would like to be one of the people who keeps their new year's resolution this series of blogs should help you understand where the problems are and how you can make it easier to keep your resolution.

In the previous blog I covered habits.  In this one I'm going to explain the other reason why using willpower alone doesn't always create long lasting change. 

Your new year's resolution usually involves getting rid of or reducing something you get pleasure from and replacing it with something that initially appears unpleasant or uncomfortable. Exercise doesn’t seem that appealing when you’ve had a long day and would feel more comfortable curled up in front of the TV.


Resisting the chocolate bar or extra beer is not easy when you know how lovely it will taste. Socialising with friends is more enjoyable than spending time looking for a new job or studying.

As with habits, your subconscious mind is getting in the way.  The reasons for making the resolution have probably been made at a conscious level.  "I need to stop eating cakes if I want to lose weight." "Stopping smoking will make me healthier." "Getting that qualification will improve my career."  Yes, those all make sense, but they don't bring you instant gratification and so you're trying to replace a distant future benefit with a very real present benefit.

To get over this problem and make sure that you stick to your resolution there must be some benefit to you that you can visualise and feel good about. You need to help your mind understand why you want to change and make it appealing, otherwise you just easily drift back into the old, familiar ways.  Think about the benefits and make them more real to you so they become part of you now rather than a distant dream.  Spend time every day reinforcing the benefits of your resolution by reminding yourself of what you will achieve and what you have already achieved.  Using self hypnosis can help you to make these visualisations very compelling and desirable.

 

Download my free article for more advice on keeping your new year's resolution.