LOLO & GALAGO NEW YEAR

 As the new year gets into its swing, we look at our resolutions and how to achieve them

January. Time of post-Christmas blues and over-ambitious New Year plans. We always seem to want to make big changes for the New Year, but how many of us actually carry them through? According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54% of us give up within six months; only 8% make it to the end of the year. The rest of us gradually let them fall by the wayside.

That’s why we have come up with a plan to help you keep them. We’re not saying it’s failsafe, but it might make it a little bit easier to stick to those tougher goals. And feeling good makes the long, cold January days that bit easier to bear.

So here we go – Lolo & Galago’s top five tips for sticking to your resolutions:

1.    Make a resolution you can keep. If you’re a couch potato, don’t aim to run a marathon, if you have a mouth of sweet teeth, cut down rather than going cold turkey. Want to lose those excess Christmas pounds? Do it gradually rather than trying to get trim in a week. Choosing manageable goals makes it easier to stick to them because you’re not overwhelmed or disheartened. Also try building up to something. There are no rules saying you have to go all out on January 1.

2.    Pick one thing and have a plan. We are not willpower machines. Choose one big thing to focus on and your chances of success are much greater. Once you have that thing, make a plan. It's all very well to want to lose weight, but how are you going to do it? How will you train for that half marathon? How will you give up chocolate? According to psychologist Baumeister, self-control uses up glucose, which fuels the brain. The more self-control you need to exercise, the more fuel you use, and the weaker your self-control becomes. It’s a vicious cycle. So stop it and focus.

3.    Team up. Research suggests that when we have to report our progress to our friends, we are much more likely to stick to something. Find a friend who has the same New Year goals and do it together. It’s much more fun, and it helps keep you on track. Why not celebrate milestones together as well?

4.    Talking of celebrations – reward yourself. Not for everything, but for big successes. Gone two months without smoking? Cut out meat five days a week? Been to the gym? Give yourself a pat on the back and little treat.

5.    And finally - mix it up with something fun. Yes resolve to eat less sugar, but why not also plan to make a great trip? Set aside one weekend a month for galleries or activities – watch more Westerns? We say make it up as you go along. And let us know how you get on.

 What are your New Year resolutions? How do you intend to stick to them? Let us know!