Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Stick

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Why New Year's Resolutions Don't Stick!...

I thought I'd approach the New Year with a few thoughts on the subject of New Year's Resolutions and how a session with a hypnotherapist can possibly help.

We are all familiar with the concept. There is something that's been sort of bugging us for the last few months or, even worse, last few years. This time though, it's all going to be different!

A fresh new start for a fresh new year! It doesn't really matter what the change is although the ones we are most familiar with are exercising more and/or losing weight, quitting smoking, saving more and/or spending less and taking up a new skill or hobby.
A Promise We Make To Ourselves

According to this study only 46% of the resolutions we make are actually followed through on over the next six months.
So what happens to the rest of the resolutions, the other 54%? Is it that promises we make to ourselves whilst high on the emotions of seeing in the New Year, glass of alcohol in one hand are somehow less desirable in the cold light of January?
Probably not... It's rare that we make a resolution that we actively think is a bad idea. Most of us think that improving our lives is a good idea and most of us are pretty sure that we know what would need to change to make our lives better. So what's going on?
Think about it... When you make a promise to someone else are you comfortable with only following up on that promise a little under half the time? So why does a promise to yourself matter so much less? Clearly something is going on here.
Habits and Routines

Here's the truth, most of the time, when you make a promise to yourself to change a habit, you are already starting to talk yourself out of making the change. "I've got too much going on right now so I'll start next week".  "My jogging partner is on holiday". "I'll quit when I'm back at work after the break". That sort of thing sound familiar?
We are creatures of habit and we don't much like to change even if we know that we would like the change or the expected rewards of change.
 Using Hypnosis to Rewire Ingrained Habits

For a hypnotist, it's even more clear cut: Our habits don't like to change, they like being in familiar territory. The old way of approaching things is the best way as far as our habits are concerned and they fight to stay unchanged regardless of what we would like to think.
 This is true for almost every habit we have, good or bad. Deep down in our unconscious mind there is a well worn neural pathway that all things considered would like to keep doing what it has always done. When we decide to change our ways we essentially have to fight ourselves!

Pain-free Solution

 Luckily, there is a reliable and painless way to make the shift and turn the old habit into a more productive new one. Hypnosis works! In fact it's one of the most effective ways to make a change. There is a reason why it's the most effective way to give up smoking.

 If you want to truly see a New Years resolution though. If you want to be able to reach the end of the year and look back with pride at your accomplishment, let’s talk! See what you can accomplish.

 

Daniel Steadman
Certified Hypnotherapist

---