Alright, it’s the new year!! You’re ready to make goals, write plans, and discuss with friends and loved ones how this will be the year that you finally give up chocolate cake…Or something like that.
According to the most recent statistic of last year, only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s Goals. Most don’t even attempt to make one. 57% chose not to make a goal or a new year resolution.
These are pretty devastating statistics and allude to the problem most have of starting something but not finishing.
So what’s the trick? How do you achieve your goals, whether that be a career, personal, health, or fitness?
According to the latest psychological research and evidence-based methods, the best way to change a behavior or set a habit is to change your mindset, not necessarily set goals.
“Success is the product of daily habits-not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.” James Clear
What People Expect Vs. Reality
When people want change, they imagine change through a linear format. Every day they get better and better, closer and closer to their goal. This format is not realistic, and it’s also not backed up by brain science and how neurochemistry in the brain works.
The more realistic change formats do not involve linear progress but a non-linear or curved line as seen on a graph.
Even when progress is not evident initially, consistent small habits are one of the most important things anyone can do when forming habits.
These small habits may not make a difference at first, but at some point, they hit a breakthrough that catapults an intense change in the projection of success. It’s almost like the brain chemistry finally grabs hold of what it needs to do to push the body and mind forward.
Again, what’s difficult is that at first, this is mostly a manual disciplined push, but the trick is to train the brain to make it automatic over time.
Goals Vs. Systems
There is a lot of controversy in the scientific community about whether or not goals are essential in creating lasting change. New studies have discovered that systems may be more prevalent and functional than goals.
Goals are results you’d like to accomplish; they are the finish line. Systems deal with the process; they force you to deal with the day-to-day of how to achieve your goal. These systems are small routines and behaviors that produce long-term effects over time.
So How Do You Form a Lasting Habit?
There are three forms of change one may target. The first is identity. What is your identity? In order words, what is your why? What is the purpose of the goal you aim to achieve? Write down not the destination but the pursuit of the plan, the real reason you’d like to achieve X, Y, or Z. Is it to make you happy? To make you less depressed or at peace with yourself? Whatever the reason is, there must be a strong emotional and cognitive connection to the deeper meaning of the change you would like to produce.
Next is changing the process. This change could be developing a daily reading habit, signing on to a meditation subscription, hiring a personal trainer to keep you accountable for working out, or saying no to sugar for at least 30 days.
Most people focus on the outcomes, but the best way to change is to focus on the person you want to become. In other words, start living your goals instead of waiting for them to arrive; begin being the person you want to be rather than thinking it will magically happen at some point in the year.
Examples
- The goal isn’t to learn an instrument; it’s to become a musician.
- The goal isn’t to run a marathon; it’s to become a runner.
- The goal isn’t to lose 10 pounds; it’s to become someone that just workout because it’s a part of their lifestyle.
Attach the outcome to the identity, and you’ll reach goals along the way!
The Psychology of Identity
An identity is a powerful tool that many therapists, sports psychologists, and life coaches use to help their clients attach meaning to the person’s goals. When you believe that you are a runner, you attempt to live up to that concept. You naturally start eating healthier; you start thinking like a runner. It’s the same with thinking that you are an athlete. It’s alright if you’ve been out of the gym for some time, but if you’re committed to training and working out, then you are an athlete. Thus, thinking of yourself as an athlete gives your brain an image to latch to and helps the brain become more neuroplastic.
Neuroplasticity is the idea that the brain is constantly changing based on internal and external information in the world. Therefore, the brain may help you live according to the meaning and the “why” you’ve identified.
Instead of making a goal for this year, create a system for yourself. Journal about the process of how you want to create that change. Journal about the details of eating healthier or going to the gym. Find some accountability and start making small habits every day. Even when you don’t see the change, stick to it because it will take some time for the patterns to become automatic. Then lastly, always remember your why and the meaning you’ve attached to the goal you want to become. Don’t look for outcomes; try and enjoy the process.
Let’s Go After IT!
HAPPY TRAINING!
