Make a True Switch in 2012
by Steve Watters
Before you jump into any New Year’s resolutions, consider some advice from Dan and Chip Heath, authors of the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. These guys have some cool insights from their research and education backgrounds that might make all the difference for you in your pursuits for 2012 (whether it be health, educational, spiritual or relational goals).
Here are some insights from an email they sent out last December, under the headline, “Five Tips for (Finally) Getting Your New Year’s Resolution Right“:
1. Don’t be ambitious. When change is hard, aim low. A friend of ours, the editor of a wellness magazine, has a “1-Song Workout” that she does on days when she doesn’t feel like working out. She tells herself, “All I have to do is work out for one song,” but of course she often gets in a groove and finishes a full workout. So don’t set an ambitious New Year’s resolution like “I’ll work out four times a week.” Instead, plan to do “1-Song Workouts” on Monday and Thursday. Leave yourself room to overachieve — that feeling of “nailing it” is what will keep you hooked.
2. Watch for bright spots. If you’re trying to eat healthier, for instance, don’t obsess about all the times that you slip and eat an Oreo. Instead, keep a constant watch on what does work. If you ate healthy food all day yesterday, how did you get away with it? Was it because you had healthy “heat & eat” food that was easy to fix? Was it because you never let yourself get so hungry that you’d crave fatty foods? Did you avoid the office lunch at the Mexican place? If you can understand what allowed you to succeed, you can do more of it. That’s bright-spots thinking. (Need a refresher on “bright spots”?)
3. Make simple tweaks in your environment. If you’re trying to increase your savings, pay with cash and leave your cards at home. If you’re trying to diet, carry around a Ziploc of apple slices. If you’re trying to jog, lay out your clothes the night before. If you’re trying to stop oversleeping, set up a double (or triple?) alarm system. (Or buy a Clocky with your Xmas gift cards!) This stuff sounds insignificant, but it will make a big difference.
4. Rely on planning, not willpower. Your Resolution calls for a new way of behaving. And that’s a challenge because you’ve been practicing the old way of behaving for a long time. The old way is well-paved and familiar and comfortable. So you can’t just bet on willpower or good intentions to ensure your success. Use your planning skills. Get yourself on the hook for something! Don’t plan to “learn Spanish.” Register for a Spanish course at your local community college. Do it right now — you’re already online. Or don’t “try hard” to go to the gym in the morning. Email your friend, right now, and tell ‘em to come get you at 7am on January 3.
5. Publicize your resolution. We all know peer pressure works. So use it on yourself. Tell everybody you know what your resolution is. They’ll bug you about it, and you won’t want to disappoint them. Just knowing that they know will make you more likely to succeed.
It’s no surprise that Switch was one of the top books of 2010. It was by far the most engaging and practical book that I read last year. Anyone seeking practical ways to live out bold new directions would find this book invaluable.
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Sometimes the elephant still wins…
Thanks Steve. Perfect timing. I may have to check Switch out at the library.
I agree with all the suggestions. I also want to say prayer and talking to our Father about whatever issue is so wonderful. I feel like that has often been a most important part of lasting change for me.
Also, I’ve tried the email a friend approach and sometimes friends support and sometimes not. I live among too much Minnesota Nice; if you’ve never heard of that term, it is like not wanting to hurt other’s feelings by always saying the nice thing.
The lovely Ann Voskamp wrote about this today, too! She even has a free printable to help with planning out your day!
“I’m sort of struck: A habit is what we wear. A habit is the way we wear our days.
“Wear new habits and your life gets a makeover. Consistently do things at the same time everyday and find yourself a new person.”
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/12/free-daily-planner-new-habits-free-daily-planner-printable
The whole “surround yourself with good company” in reference with people also applies to exercise and nutrition.
Don’t buy things that you shouldn’t be eating.
Stay out of the aisles of the store. All of the healthy foods — fresh meats, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, dairy, etc. are all on the outside of the shopping markets. All of the processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugars, etc. are in the aisles.
Discipline and planning easily become habit after you make good changes for a while.
I do not do new years resolutions!
ummm no body keeps em.
great article. last year i made a resolution to give up alcohol. i made it a year and i feel great. but i had to change the places i went and my idea of “fun.” this year i plan to give up one particular energy drink that isn’t the most heart healthy. pray for me! it’s gonna be hard. :/
@stevept- So true! Eating properly begins at the store!
@USALady- I kept my 2011 resolution =)
@forgiven- Good for you! I will pray for you.
I don’t entirely agree with the last one about telling people. This is especially a problem for ppl trying to lose weight, gain weight, or get in shape. Tell a few trusted friends who will support you and help.But don’t set yourself up for failure by giving others a chance to condemn you goals (“If you need to lose weight, I must be a blimp!”) or your methods (“That doctor is a quack! His diet plan is stupid!”) and don’t set yourself up for counterproductive guilt-producing nagging (“why are you having a cupcake? I thought you were going to lose weight?”).
Hmmmm, your reasoning is interesting Californialady,
I agree with seeking out accountability to reach goals successfully, but doing so to please others isn’t a healthy method. Ultimately we need to reach our goals for our own good, not to people please…. As said by a member of people pleaser in recovery.
@ Mike – cute, that tension is always there.
#3: Make simple tweaks. Last year I succeeded, I no longer drink diet or regular pop. First, I started with making tea (I never drank it before) and then I did 50/50 sweet/unsweet. As I kept changing the percentage of mix, I now drink all unsweetened. I do miss the “fun” aspects of pop and fountain drinks. I don’t miss the joint discomfort and other negative effects.
Will I make a resolution this year? No, but I will make a plan.
What plans would you make?
I have three, yet ambitious ones: 1st – my highest priority will be to not miss out on daily time spent with my God in prayer and reflection (it’s so easy to simply get ready and go about the day, let alone simply go to sleep at night), because that’s simply time missed out on with my best friend; 2nd – read through the whole Bible in one year (One Year Bible) and some of my Christian wisdom books, and 3rd – follow through on complete workouts in the gym every week. Really connected with #3 & #4 while I believe that ambition is very important and it is that which drives us.
Regarding telling someone about your resolutions: I agree that you have to be careful about this. I tend to be an open person and have learned (the hard way) that I need to use discernment in this area. Unfortunately, not everyone is supportive and encouraging.
Plans: When I get over my super nasty cold, I’m going to clean my bathroom like this: http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/2011/01/53-steps-to-deep-cleaned-bathroom.html. Just to be clear, I already keep a clean bathroom (haha), but I don’t think I’ve done a deep clean like that since I moved in here years ago. Everything I read on “Time-Warp Wife” is convicting me that I need to spend less time on hobbies and more time maintaining my home. Thank God for blogs like this to help out women like me whose mothers didn’t teach us these practical things. I never had one single chore growing up, so I didn’t learn any of these things. I plan to be more intentional this coming year with learning such things!
This is a good article idea! I like most of the advice, espescially 3 and 4.
I do disagree with #1 though. I think it’s just as possible for our goals to be too small, and therefore not inspire us. I think realistically ambitious is best. My most successful changes have not been the smallest attempts.
I also think it is a good idea, on #5, to include others. If they criticize us, so be it — I think involving those close to us, whether they be supportive or not, is beneficial.
I know a lot of people think New Year Resolutions are silly and pointless – but I love taking time to reflect on what I want to do better at and be better atand what I want to accomplish…and some of my goals have been the same for years, but there is progress. If you don’t determine where you are headed, you can’t ever get there!