It’s New Year’s resolution season, and one thing that many can agree on is that resolutions can be hard to maintain. Each year, nearly 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. Many resolutions are forgotten by mid-February because they lack specificity, are unrealistic, or the person lacks the support system needed to carry through. Further, each person and new habit will require varying amounts of time for them to become “automatic.” Studies show a new habit can take 18 to 254 days to be established (the average rate being 66 days).
When resolutions are established without a diversity of resources to engage with (ie: workouts, lessons, strategies), long-term support, a detailed plan, and social motivation, they tend to be abandoned. To support healthy lifestyles beyond the January push, a survey of 2,500 credentialed health and wellness instructors from Burnalong, an online health, wellness, and fitness platform, was recently conducted to aid its global membership base in maintaining and sustaining new habits in 2022.
The survey results show:
- 66 percent of instructors recommend starting small with manageable goals
- 46 percent suggest writing your goals down and making them visible
- 44 percent say you should celebrate small wins as you go, rather than waiting until the end
- 34 percent recommend a method called habit stacking, which means you add your new habit to an existing habit. For instance:
- Meditate for two minutes after you pour your first cup of coffee each day
- 32 percent advised you commit to a “where, when, and what” schedule for consistency
- 24 percent said you should get a friend or family member to commit to the habit with you
- 23 percent suggest mentally visualizing your end goal
“We are committed to supporting healthy habits throughout the year in partnership with our expert instructors,” says Daniel Freedman, co-CEO of Burnalong. “In order for new habits to be effective, it requires meeting each individual wherever they are in their wellness journey with the personalized recommendations and support to help them reach their unique goals.”
