Christmas has now been and gone; the turkey has been eaten, decorations taken down, and the family have been sent back to their own homes. That means it’s that time of year again: it’s time to make our new year’s resolutions. We will promise to ourselves that this year, unlike last year, we will make a change for the better and we will stick to it.

It’s all about self-improvement really. We want to believe that this year is the year we can change our lives. This is going to be our year. And we’re going to kick it off by making a bold statement, assuring ourselves that we can be better.

Most New Year’s resolutions relate to either improving ourselves emotionally, intellectually, or physically. Keep on top of our emails; work less on the weekends; snack less while sitting at our desks. We all want to be better than we are today. Though, looking back over the years, have we actually changed that dramatically?

According to Forbes, while over 40% of us make New Year’s resolutions, only 8% see them through. So what happens to the unsuccessful 32%? Well the chances are, we they accept defeat and wait for the next year to come around.

But why do we do it? Year after year, these promises take over our lives for a short period of time, making us feel empowered and assured of ourselves. When the end of the year inevitably arrives, do we look over the past year and review how we’ve done? Most probably, we have forgotten what we promised ourselves, and are ready to start again fresh with resolutions even more ambitious than last year’s. Because we’re sure to keep them, right?

So how can you make a resolution that you stick to?

It’s not all doom and gloom. New year’s resolutions are a brilliant way of setting yourself targets and for genuinely bettering yourself in the year to come. So, we have pooled the ideas of the mark-making* office and have these 7 tips to help you keep your new year’s resolutions:

Keep it simple. The more complicated your resolution is, the more likely you are to break it. Deciding you’re going to eat healthily and exercise more so that you are able to be more productive at work, leaving you more time to train and climb Everest this time next year, is very ambitious. Great, but ambitious. Making one simple resolution is a great way to make sure you don’t forget it easily. Maybe start with ‘I will exercise 3 times a week’, and if you are able to stick to this then the other things may hopefully follow in time.

Have a goal. If you have something that you can look forward to as part of your resolution then this ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ will help to keep you focused and motivated. Setting a goal that is only a few months away is a great way of encouraging yourself to keep going. Once you have reached your goal, look back at how you got there and how you could improve next time. Set yourself a new goal another few months down the line and you’re away!
Plan ahead. Instead of just having a resolution that you hope to achieve somehow, it is important to have a clear understanding of just how you are going to accomplish it. Think about what techniques you’ll be using and the different things you will be doing day to day. This act of planning ahead will help to secure your resolution in your mind and force you to take it seriously this time.

Write it down. Writing down you resolution is only going to make it all the more real – having this as a tangible reminder will make you so much more likely to stick to it; it’s much easier to ignore a thought in your head than it is that piece of paper you see stuck to the fridge every morning.
Visualise. Thinking about how it will feel to achieve your resolution is a great way to push yourself to stick at it. Want to lose weight? The classic thinspiration on the fridge door is always a winner. Want to work less over the weekend? Think about all the things you will be able to do in this extra time, and make some solid plans so that you know you’ll be there soon.

Share your resolution. Many of us keep our resolutions to ourselves, with the fear of embarrassment if we fail to keep them. But finding a friend who you can tell about your resolution may help when you reach the inevitable stage of ‘I can’t do this anymore’. If you’ve got a competitive streak, you could even compete with a friend to see who can keep their resolution for the longest. A great way to stay motivated in this way if you’re a runner, is to sign up to Jantastic, a website that allows you and friends to pledge how often you plan to run, and log every time you do, encouraging you to stick to the goals you set at the beginning of each month.

Treat yourself. So you’ve been on top of your emails for a whole two weeks of the new year… great! This it the perfect time to allow yourself a little indulgence and reward yourself for your efforts so far. And if your chosen indulgence is a bar of chocolate when your resolution is to eat healthy then so what – reward yourself with a Sunday cheat day and get back to the healthy eating the day afterwards.

What are your new year’s resolutions for this year? Have you kept them so far? If you have then you are already beating the majority of people, who give up after only nine days! We would love to hear what your plans are, and love even more if you can get in touch this time next year with positive news about how you’ve kept your resolution. If you’ve already broken this year’s resolution though, don’t worry, you only have to get motivated and start again.

By Emma Baker