Discover 11 expert tips for sticking to your resolutions

For Jonia Lacerda Felicio, coordinator of the psychology course at Faculdade BP, having goals for the future and establishing rituals and celebrations on certain dates in life are ways to talk to yourself and generate movement in your own life.

— These little rituals of renewal are considered moments of self-knowledge, where we clearly highlight what is very important to us. Culturally, they are known for their positive intentionality and for giving meaning and purpose to each person, Felicio explains.

However, despite all good intentions, only 8% of people manage to achieve their goals, according to a study from the University of Scranton, USA.

The vast majority drop out in the first semester. But why does this happen? One of the main reasons this happens is because you set crazy goals that end up discouraging you from staying focused. The good news is that there are some strategies that can help you not give up along the way and it all starts with setting the goals themselves.

According to Ana Karazin, psychologist at Espaço Einstein Bem-Estar e Saúde Mental, goals must be realistic and aligned with each person’s life, and not just copied from social expectations.

— Well-defined goals can help create direction (knowing where you are going), increase a sense of purpose, build self-awareness, and boost motivation and emotional self-regulation. On the other hand, rigid, unrealistic or excessive goals can generate frustration, guilt and a feeling of failure – he explains.

She therefore lists three steps to follow when defining objectives:

1. Connect the goal to your values: Before asking “what do I want to change?” ”, ask yourself “why is this important to me now?” » Goals linked to personal values ​​(health, autonomy, relationships, learning) generate internal motivation, more lasting than motivation based on obligation or social comparison.
2. Be specific but flexible: Replace vague goals like “I want to take better care of myself” with something clearer, like “I want to set aside two times a week to take care of myself.” We need clarity to act, but at the same time, flexibility reduces self-criticism when unforeseen events arise.
3. Set a few priority goals for yourself: Excessive goals generate cognitive overload and reduce the likelihood of execution. Prioritization helps with daily decision making.

On the other hand, Arthur H. Danila, coordinator of the Habits and Lifestyle Change Program (PROMEV) at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of USP (IPq-FMUSP), warns that poorly set goals can worsen mental health.

— When they (goals) are unrealistic and rigid, they fuel frustration, feelings of failure, guilt and self-criticism — says Danila. — When they come from social comparisons (“everyone is an entrepreneur”, “everyone travels”, “everyone is fit”) instead of starting from their own values, they end up generating anxiety, never satisfaction – he adds.

With this in mind and the objectives defined, the time has come to put them into practice. Check out the top strategies listed by experts to achieve this:

Turn your goal into a routine

Creating habits from behaviors that are already part of daily life reduces the expenditure of mental energy and reduces reliance on willpower, according to Karazin. For example, instead of just “I’m going to walk more,” set “After breakfast, I’m going to walk for 20 minutes” or “As soon as I stop working, I’m going to make dinner.”

Reduce the size of the first step

When we’re tired, anxious, or unmotivated, the brain does what’s easiest. If the goal is too ambitious, the tendency is to postpone it. For example, if your goal is to “read more books,” start with “read 5 pages a day” or “exercise,” start with “put on workout clothes and leave the house” or “organize your finances,” start with “open your statement and write down your top 3 expenses.”

Plan the environment to your advantage

According to Danila, much of this behavior is not due to a lack of discipline, but to a poorly planned environment. Examples: Do you want to eat better? Leave fruit washed and visible and reduce the purchase of ultra-processed foods for the home. Want to sleep better? Place your cell phone for charging away from the bed and make the room darker and quieter. Want to know more? Leave the book visible on the sofa or bedside.

Karazin recommends asking yourself what might get in the way of your goal and how to deal with it if it happens.

— This planning activates strategic thinking and prevents the objective from being automatically abandoned at the first difficulty — says Einstein’s psychologist.

For example, when you have a very busy week, instead of 3 workouts, keep at least 1; instead of cooking every day, cook twice.

Danila points out that the brain likes feedback.

— Visually seeing progress activates a sense of accomplishment, reinforces behavior, and helps notice patterns: “I always fail on Tuesdays,” “when I get little sleep, I don’t train.” Without monitoring, the tendency is to underestimate what worked well and overestimate what didn’t, he explains.

Some recommendations for this tracking are: post a calendar on the wall showing the days the goal was achieved, use a simple spreadsheet or even an app, if you like technology. Without monitoring, the tendency is to underestimate what went well and overestimate what went wrong.

Avoid the “all or nothing” trap

One of the most common distortions is the dichotomy: either perfect or terrible; Either everything works or nothing works. For example: “I already ate badly at lunch, so today that’s it” or “I couldn’t start in January, so now I’ll just have to do it next year.”

Danila recommends adopting the “best possible today” mentality: “Didn’t I make it through 30 minutes? I made 10”, “I couldn’t cook all week?

— This flexibility is fundamental — he said. — Sustainable goals are those that tolerate failure without collapsing. From a mental health perspective, learning to make mistakes without giving up is more important than doing things well every day.

Goals can and should be revised

Flexibility allows you to adjust goals to reality, thereby reducing feelings of guilt and increasing adherence and persistence, advises Karazin.

We are deeply social beings. Support, acceptance and partnership increase motivation and buy-in. So organize a walk with a friend; Let your family members know about your goal to go to bed earlier so they stick to that schedule and participate in groups that encourage each other.

Don’t compare yourself to others

Constant comparison increases anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, and can lead to abandoning goals due to discouragement or shame. Avoid following “perfect lives” that are widely exposed on social media and don’t try to have the same body, productivity, and routine as influencers.

Taking care of the fundamental pillars of health

Danila emphasizes that it is very difficult to achieve your goals when you sleep little or poorly; is chronically exhausted; He eats very irregularly and has no time to rest or entertain himself.

— The classic pillars of lifestyle medicine – sleep, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, relationships and substance use – form its basis, he says. — Willpower does not compensate for an exhausted body. Basic self-care is not a luxury, it is the infrastructure for any more elaborate changes.

Treat yourself to some self-compassion

Karazin remembers that failures are part of the process.

— Excessive self-criticism tends to increase anxiety and lead to abandonment, while self-compassion promotes perseverance and better emotional self-regulation — explains the psychologist.

— People who treat themselves with self-compassion tend to recover from failures faster, try again and maintain healthy habits longer — adds Danila.

Finally, Einstein’s psychologist emphasizes that it is more important than “achieving all goals” to use this time of year as an opportunity for internal listening.