How to make New Year's Resolution really work

Do New Year's Resolutions really work?
Yes, it seems so; accordingly to Dr. Mike Evans, seems that you are more likely to stick to a change if you made it at New Year's. But, what is the science behind this when so many of us have made them and know they often don’t stick?

A study refer that only 8% of people who make resolutions suceed in keeping them - 75% of resolutions is continued through the entire 1st week of January however only about 46% make it past 6 months. This is according to the University of Scranton that lists losing weight was the number-one commitment, followed by getting organized and spending less (or saving more). 

Well, not the be the bearer of bad news, but if your New Year’s resolution is “get healthy and lose weight", you might be setting yourself up for failure, since those studies also indicate that true life change takes root when goals are short-term, simple, written down, and made in community.

One of the biggest keys in making changes in your life is to believe you are capable of growing & changing.  And YOU ARE ! But where to start?

First, you'll do better if you reflect beforehand, as Dr. Evans recommends, and more closely look at the behaviors you want to change. Most behaviors are automatic, done without thoughtful consideration; so, if you want to change habits, watch yourself more and look for the little decisions you make just before the autopilot takes you the rest of the way. Look at the contexts in which you want to change your behavior (eg, at work, at home, on the road) and on what triggers the autopilot behavior you want to change.
Plan before the next time you'll be in that particular context and do some creative problem solving: what is the easiest, best other choice you could make without too much frustration? How can you make that choice easier to chose? What tricks can you use to move your autopilot into a different path? If you do a bit of research, you can get even better answers.

On this short video lesson "How to Suceed with your New Years Resolutions" - available both on TedEd and on DocMikeEvans YouTube Channel, some simple tricks are explained and will help to understand how to facilitate change.
 
Mike Evans is the founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital. He develops innovative health messaging for the world. Dr. Evans work has been profiled in a wide range of publications from JAMA to Walrus, and the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.