Can't stick to your New Year's resolution?

By Laman Ismayilova

The start of the New Year is often the perfect time to turn a new page in your life.

With the holiday season already upon us many people are reevaluating some of their life choices.

Most of us head into the New Year with lofty intentions:  we are going to hit the gym every day, find the man or woman of our dreams, get adequate rest, and travel a lot.

But more often than not our big plans get dashed. Researchers have looked at success rates of peoples’ resolutions: The first two weeks usually go along beautifully, but after a few failures we will typically give up and go back to our old habits.

Here are some of the more commonly tricks that are more likely to improve your life.

Set the right goal

Goal setting is powerful. No doubt about it. However, the annual goal-setting doesn't work. You can't plan an entire year and know in advance all the goals you will need to achieve. Breaking down a big goal into smaller, easier-to-accomplish ones makes the seemingly impossible dreams, possible.

Make time

One very important step is to make time for exercise or eating healthy. Start eating healthier food, and less food overall. With a good amount of determination you can slowly develop healthier eating habits. Find a method of eating healthy that is enjoyable and learn to control emotional eating.

Measure progress

If you really want to perform at the top level in any area of your life, you have to measure progress against your targets. Challenge yourself to take one or more areas of your life that could use improvement. There is nothing more motivating than writing down your little achievements and tracking progress.

Stop procrastinating

Nothing wrong with a little escape from time to time. But if you procrastinate too much you will not get the most important things done. If you spend too much time thinking about a thing you'll never get it done. The best way to stop procrastinating is to change your environment. Different environments have different impact on our productivity. First of all look at your work desk and your room. Do they make you want to work? Create an environment that will make you feel inspired.

Broaden your horizons

There are some amazing ways to broaden your horizons. Look at books or articles to inspire you to think more adventurously. Traveling the world brings you more than experiences. It helps you learn who you are. You’d be surprised how much you learn about another culture, taste new cuisines or simply breathe in an unfamiliar city.

All the challenges and opportunities you face while traveling will help you discover who you are in a way that's only possible on the road.

Get more quality sleep

Healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in your quality of life. Practice a relaxing bedtime rituals. Don't forget to power down all your digital devices. Drink a warm milk. It’s scientifically proven that it does help you sleep. Tryptophan, hormone found in milk products, will spread through your body and stimulate the production of melatonin. It is the natural chemical required to induce sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Also evaluate your room. Your bedroom should be cool – between 60 and 67 degrees.

As we step into this New Year, may your fears fade away, your strength be renewed and your dreams come true.

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Laman Ismayilova  is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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