How to make your New Year’s resolutions stick this year

A new year is the perfect time to change existing habits, and to make new ones. But it’s not easy, so you need all the help you can get. A simple place to start is to set a realistic goal and a routine that you’ll be able to keep – building new habits takes time, so it’s important to ease into your new routine. It also helps to make sure you have a support network around you to encourage you and provide advice.

Here’s how three local experts can help you keep your resolutions.

Be More Active

For Bec Zamel, New Year’s resolutions are just like any other goal. “Consistency is the most important thing,” says the manager of Strength Social. “Showing up day in, day out is the best way to get the results you’re after.” That’s why the gym runs classes six days a week (Sunday is the day of rest), with a mix of high intensity sweat classes and strength training. “All you have to do is walk through the door, then we’ve already set the workout and we provide the motivation.”

The other important factor is feeling like you’re part of a community with shared goals. “People work harder when they’re a part of a group, which is why group fitness works for so many people – there’s more accountability.” And to find out if it’s for you, you can even start your year off with a free 7 day trial.

Make Smarter Financial Decisions

If you want to stick to any resolution, it’s important to set an attainable goal. That’s certainly true with budgeting, and the good news is that it’s almost always easier than you think. For Angie Bonavia at The Financial Managers, the first step is the simple: write down your expenditures. 

“When you put it on paper, it makes it real,” explains the budget management expert. Being completely honest about all of your spending is important – that way you can make sure your first budget is the only one you need. Then after figuring out what you need for essentials, you’ll have an idea of how much is left for the fun stuff. And once you have your budget, make sure you stick to it. “Any budget is going to be a bit tough to begin with, but our objective is to get clients in a better financial position and still allow them to enjoy a good lifestyle.”

Reduce Waste

With South Australia’s largest range of eco-friendly products, Ecolateral has plenty of ways to reduce waste. But CEO Jamie Stott’s first suggestion doesn’t involve buying anything. “Get into the habit of bringing your shopping bags with you; if you often forget them in the car, set a location reminder so that your phone pings when you get close to the supermarket.” The next step is to avoid using plastic bags for fresh fruit and veg by bringing your own reusable produce bags.

When you do make purchases, it’s important to make mindful decisions – buy good quality products that will last a long time rather than fast fashion that falls apart (or gets thrown away) after a few wears. But it’s also important to keep a sense of perspective and not try to change everything at once. “What we need is not a handful of people going zero waste but millions of people reducing their waste,” Stott says. “That’s how we have a real impact.” Get more tips by following Ecolateral on Instagram or Facebook.