Often people set big objectives at the start of the year, but by 3 weeks into the year, they’ll usually have fallen by the wayside. In 2020, we’re not only demonstrating our commitment to positive change for the year, we’re also setting the tone for the next ten years!
Research shows that 80% of New Year’s Resolutions will have been abandoned by February[1]. So, we could be excused for asking ‘Why bother?’ But perhaps it’s the concept of a resolution itself that’s at fault.
Rather than making resolutions, changing our daily habits can compound up over time to create lasting change. Once adopted, habits become actions we take as a matter of routine, leaving precious space in our conscious minds for other exciting projects.
With that in mind, here are the top 10 new habits that might work for you this year.
1. Take baby steps
One of the main reasons that resolutions fail is unrealistic expectations. James Clear’s bestselling book Atomic Habits is subtitled Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. ‘Getting 1% better every day counts for a lot in the long-run,’ he says. This feels much more achievable than a weighty new year’s resolution.
Be realistic. If your goal is to get healthy, start small. A plan to go for a long walk or run every day will likely falter. A missed day isn’t a problem in the grand scheme of things, but psychologically it can feel like a failure, and it’s a small jump from there to taking no action at all.
A more realistic goal, completing your chosen activity once or twice a week maybe, is more likely to succeed. A small incremental change such as this creates confidence and some momentum to build on. After all, will power is a muscle that gets strong with use. When repeated consistently, these incremental changes compound to form a new habit and eventually a change to your lifestyle.
As a starting point, consider areas where you would like to see some change in your life, and break them down into the baby steps needed to achieve that outcome.
[1] Source: US News & World Report
2. Be intentional about how you spend your time
Life can be hectic and it’s easy to find ourselves pushed from pillar to post with all our commitments. This can also be the case in retirement as people seek to create structure and routine in their lives. Before you know it, weeks and even months have passed, and you haven’t spent your time in the way you had wanted to.
The key to avoiding this is to set a reminder or create a regular habit to identify your intentions for your day or week ahead. For example, if your objective is to entertain more and spend more time with your friends and family, you may set a regular reminder to put some gatherings in the diary.
3. Identify the 3 important things you must do each day
You might already write to-do lists, but they can feel a bit overwhelming and it can be hard to identify where to start tackling them sometimes. If you set yourself 3 tasks you must complete today to move you a step closer to your objectives, what would they be? It’s important to distinguish between the things you feel you should do and those you must do. Otherwise, we can be caught in a cycle of doing the things others may think we should do, rather than doing the things that are going to create most progress or fulfilment for us.
4. Create a morning ritual
Drinking a glass of water and making the bed is a good way to start the day. It sets the right tone, can improve your mood and puts you in control from the get-go. But the morning ritual doesn’t have to end there.
Whether it’s a healthy breakfast, 10 minutes meditation, a morning run or getting up just a few minutes earlier to spend valuable time with your family, having a routine and sticking to it will set you on the right track for the day.
5. Indulge your passions
We all have hobbies. Whether it’s reading, playing a sport or tinkering in the garden, it’s often difficult to take a step back from our busy lives and find time to indulge our passions.
Create a habit by dedicating time in your diary to spend on your passions on a regular basis, even if it’s just for 10 minutes to start with. Committing to someone else that this is what you’re going to do, or having a buddy, can also be a powerful way of holding yourself to account.
If you find yourself struggling for inspiration, simply ask yourself ‘what do I enjoy doing, that I would like to do more of?’
6. Be present in the moment
This one is as much about giving up a bad habit as it is adopting a new one. It’s important to focus on the here and now. Often, we find ourselves distracted by outside pressures or the constant bombardment of distractions we receive through our phones.
If there’s a habit you would like to break, making it harder to action will help you to break it. For example, when you arrive home in the evening you could put your phone away in a drawer for a period to allow you time without distractions to spend with your loved ones. Often, out of sight really is out of mind.
7. Get enough sleep
Our bedtime routine is just as important as our morning one. It’s a key component in feeling our best each day.
Getting into a good sleeping habit is crucial. Here are some tips from The Sleep Foundation of things we can all do to encourage a good night’s sleep:
- Sleep at regular times, even at the weekend
- Have a relaxing bedtime routine. Your body needs time to move into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. This can make it easier to fall into a deep sleep. Using electronic devices such as laptops and phones can have the opposite effect as the light from their screens activates the brain
- Make your bedroom a sleep-friendly environment that also puts you in a good frame of mind when you wake up in the morning. This should be dark, quiet, tidy and cool
8. Express gratitude
A great addition to a morning routine is to write down 3 things you are grateful for. It’s impossible to feel stressed, frustrated or anxious at the same time as feeling grateful, so give yourself a moment to absorb these.
We all have reasons to be grateful but it’s easy to forget them as we are caught up in our day to day lives. For example, the freedom we have to make choices about how we spend our time, our health and wellbeing, or having a partner we love in our lives. Reflecting on these things will have a positive impact on how you approach your day.
9. Laugh
Laughing releases endorphins, the body’s painkilling and de-stressing chemicals. And laughing in a group is even better – we experience ‘bonding effects [from] the endorphin rush’ according to research undertaken by the University of Oxford.
Even a smile can start a chemical reaction. And what’s more, the brain can be tricked into releasing these same chemicals even by a fake smile. So, the act of forcing a smile or a giggle could have a positive effect on your outlook.
10. Be patient
Research from the University College London conducted in 2009 confirmed that it takes, on average, 66 days to form a new habit.
This means it could take until March 28 for your new behaviour to switch to ‘automaticity,’ meaning it will be performed unthinkingly whenever the situation is encountered. So, if your habit isn’t quite embedded yet, be patient, it will come as long as you practise!