The 66th day of the year; a moment of reflection and growth

The 66th day of the year; a moment of reflection and growth

Have you set good resolutions for this year such as losing weight, exercising weekly or spending more time on yourself?

Often we see that good resolutions fade after a while. Research shows that many people have trouble sustaining new behaviors for a long time. John C. Norcross found that two-thirds of people with good resolutions give up after a month, and after two years only 20% continue the change.

Resolutions require different behaviors and new habits. But did you know that it takes an average of 66 days to learn a new habit – such as drinking more water or exercising more often? So says research by Philippa Lally.

This is why Vitalogy Day is 66 days after the first of January. It is time to reflect on our resolutions and possibly start over!

Three tips: 

Ben Tiggelaar explains in his book the Ladder how to effectively change behavior.

Step 1: goal

First, set a learning goal for yourself. Where do you want to go? Formulate a clear why and why now? Start small. This makes it easier to take action and measure progress. If you have more than one goal, make a clear priority list.
And remember: Learning is trial and error, it’s part of the process, so don’t give up too quickly!

Step 2: behavior
Your goal requires new behavior. Make that concrete! Don’t say “I want to exercise more,” say “I’m going to run half an hour twice a week.” That way you know exactly what you have to do. Use as a rule of thumb that you must be able to demonstrate and imitate the new behavior. Also ask yourself:

• Can I handle this? Do I have the skills?
•  Do I really want this? Do I have the motivation?
• Does this work in my environment?

Start small and simple and choose behaviors you like.

Stap 3: support
Denk bij support aan ondersteuning uit je omgeving. Denk breed; aan mensen die je kunnen helpen maar ook aan hulpmiddelen zoals een training of een dagboek of een app op je telefoon om je voortgang bij te houden.

• Pas je omgeving aan zodat het je helpt. Bijvoorbeeld, als je minder snoep wilt eten, koop het dan niet of leg je sportkleren in de ochtend al klaar als je na je werk wil gaan sporten.
• Vertel je voornemen aan mensen zodat zij je kunnen helpen als het lastig wordt.
• Bedenk vooraf een plan voor moeilijke momenten. Zoals, “Als ik trek krijg ‘s avonds, dan eet ik fruit of noten.”
• Vraag jezelf elke dag: “Heb ik gedaan wat ik wilde doen?” Dit helpt je om te focussen op je gedrag, niet op het resultaat.

Step 3: support
Think about support from those around you. Think broadly; people who can help you but also tools such as a workout or a journal or an app on your phone to track your progress.

• Adapt your environment so that it helps you. For example, if you want to eat less candy, don’t buy it or put your gym clothes on in the morning if you want to exercise after work.
• Tell your resolution to people so they can help you when things get tough.
• Devise a plan in advance for difficult moments. Like, “If I get a craving in the evening, I’ll eat fruit or nuts.”
• Ask yourself every day, “Did I do what I set out to do?” This helps you focus on your behavior, not the outcome.

In short: set a goal, make your behavior concrete and make sure you have support!

Check the summary of Ben Tiggelaar’s talk at The Justice Conference 2018 here.