How long will your New Year’s resolution last?

Have you ever noticed how most people tend to pick the same New Year’s resolutions year after year? I know I do, go to the gym, get fit, drop two dress sizes, start calorie counting.

They’re usually pretty similar and almost always about my body or my finances.

But what’s the reason why we have to keep going back to the same old resolutions?

Well, according to new research from the University of Hertfordshire, some 78 per cent of people who give up on their resolutions are doomed to fail from the start because they attempt to make overly ambitious changes.

Am I realistically going to go to the gym four times a week? Will I find time to run five miles every Sunday morning? Probably not, if I’m truthful.

Instead of opting for these big promises to myself, which will no doubt leave me crying into my ice cream by March, I’ve decided to start small.

This year I want to be more fun. Not 67 per cent more fun, or any other silly figure, just more fun.

To do this, I’d like to enjoy myself more by doing more fun classes like pilates, zumba and even try some sponsored bike rides.

I’m also going to take greater pride in my cooking and try out new things, such as all those yummy recipes in my cookbooks.

As well as this, I think I’ll head to more farmer’s markets as this seems a far more fun way to shop, rather than traipsing up and down the supermarket aisles trying to work out whether eggs are with bread or by the flour.

There are a million and one ways to spice up your normal routine and there’s almost always a more fun way of doing things if you really think.

These little changes are definitely something I can stick to and really make me look forward to 2013 with a smile.

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

Posted by Margo Hunter