The Best Habits to Complete Goals - Habits of Improvement

This week’s focus

how to Complete & maintain goals

By Caleb Heiser | 5 min read goals

If you’re setting New Year’s resolutions, it suggests a belief in your potential for growth. Approximately 40% of Americans make resolutions, yet only 9% successfully achieve their goals. So, what distinguishes those who fulfill their resolutions from those who don’t? While there are several factors to consider, the fundamental answer lies in the habits you carry into 2024.

Universally acknowledged by numerous scientists and philosophers, humans are creatures of habit. Consequently, achieving goals can demand a considerable amount of energy if our existing habits don’t align with our aspirational identity. For many, the primary challenge isn’t the inability to pursue New Year’s resolutions but rather the difficulty in recognizing how existing habits and structures impede progress. Today, you’ll discover the significance of being aware of your habits and learn which new ones to embrace for the upcoming year.

Habits to Harness

Visual Measure Strategy

This strategy comprises two integral components that, when combined, empower you to achieve virtually anything. The first half is “visual,” wherein the strategy involves utilizing visual cues to track the progress of specific goals or tasks. Visualization is a potent tool for the mind with diverse applications. For instance, it can involve creating mental images of achieving resolutions, contemplating how your life would transform, envisioning the desired outcome, and setting a timeline for goal completion. Consistently engaging in visualization not only fosters motivation but also instills your goals with a sense of purpose and meaning. There are also simpler ways to employ visualization, such as placing a paperclip in a jar for each step toward your goals. Any visible tracking device, when seen frequently, proves effective in maintaining focus and gauging your progress. Other examples include workout logs, habit trackers, and food journals. But how should you quantify these visual cues?

Now, let’s delve into the second part: “measure.” This is how you assess your progress—deciding on metrics, determining the frequency of measurement, and understanding why measuring is crucial. What gets measured gets managed, which is why measurement is vital in accomplishing resolutions. While it may sound straightforward, many people opt to measure their goals but fall short in sustaining the practice. A key consideration in measuring goals is selecting metrics that encourage progress rather than impede it. For example, two individuals with the goal of abstaining from drinking for 30 days may choose different metrics—one measuring missed parties and the other measuring work productivity. The contrasting connotations highlight the significance of positive metrics. It’s also essential to decide how frequently you’ll measure progress—daily, weekly, or monthly. For instance, tracking workout sessions on a monthly basis may not be effective, while monitoring monthly savings aligns better with financial changes. Measurement for your goals may take practice, but should be a pillar for your progression in 2024.

Understanding the potential of the Visual Measure Strategy, you can integrate it into your life for your New Year’s resolutions. The examples above are not universal but illuminate the basic concept behind visualizing and measuring goals. It’s up to you to tailor this strategy to your specific goals and maintain consistency in your efforts.

Fueling the Fire

Within each of us, there exists an internal fire—an innate drive propelling us to strive for more and better. At times, this flame burns brightly, instilling the belief that we can conquer anything, while on other occasions, it may feel extinguished. Nurturing this internal fire involves active and intentional self-encouragement, maintaining passion for our goals, and reminding ourselves of their significance. A powerful way to embark on the new year is by jotting down positive affirmations. Whether minimal or extensive, the key is consistency, making these affirmations a frequent practice for noticeable shifts in mindset (daily and nightly routines tend to work best for most).

In regards to fulfilling New Year’s resolutions, sustaining progress can be achieved by rewarding yourself when you make strides toward your goals. However, it’s crucial to align the reward with your desired outcome—for instance, rewarding yourself with a bowl of ice cream after a workout may not be the best choice. The aim is to reinforce positive behavior and maintain a steady flame for future endeavors. Manifestation is another integral aspect of fueling the fire, as cliché as it may sound; you must believe it to achieve it. Many individuals fail to immerse themselves in the mindset necessary for identity or behavioral change. To effect lasting change, one must fully embrace a new sense of self.

Conversely, there are negative or detracting habits that should be avoided to sustain your inner fire. One such habit is self-punishment; negative reinforcement only diminishes your drive and sense of purpose. A more constructive approach is to assess where you fell short and devise an action plan to prevent future occurrences. On average, people engage in an internal dialogue of 500-600 words per minute, with approximately 80% of these thoughts being negative. Understanding this statistic shows why our internal fires often only burn for short periods of time. It is important to identify, eliminate, and replace negative messages with those that uplift and empower us. Frequently, our environment and the people around us contribute to these negative thoughts. Position yourself for success, even if it requires tough decisions such as distancing yourself from certain individuals or stepping out of your comfort zone.

Never Miss Twice

“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” This famous quote can be aptly applied to the concept of consistency as well. After experiencing a slip up, one should gather valuable lessons from the mistake to prevent its recurrence. A major distinction between winners and losers lies in the ability to swiftly recover from setbacks. If a day is missed or progress falters, it becomes crucial to quickly return to the path of commitment. Momentum will be the most potent resource for pursuing this year’s resolutions. That’s why the principle of Never Miss Twice should be etched at the forefront of your mind.

To embed this habit effectively, consider breaking down goals into daily, manageable tasks; maintaining consistency is about not biting off more than you can chew. Recognize that each day’s efforts have a compounding effect, whether positive or negative. Another powerful tool to use in effort to maintain consistency is creating commitment devices; a choice that controls your future actions. Commitment devices serve as a way to capitalize on good intentions before falling victim to temptation. For example, you could pay for a session with a fitness trainer ahead of time, increasing the odds that you will make the right decision. The key is to create more work if you were to get out of a good habit than if you just went through with it.

An often overlooked aspect is that merely acting on your desires, even with small efforts, is the best strategy to keep the momentum going. Setbacks are inevitable, but the ability to overcome and adapt is where success emerges. Celebrate small wins, set realistic expectations, and reflect on progress; you will find your journey toward self-improvement much more robust and sustainable.

Quality Quote

“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” ― Karen Lamb Share on X

Adaptable Apps

Take advantage of these amazing apps to complete all your resolutions in 2024!

Way of Life
This app is perfect for adapting to your New Year’s resolutions because it not only enables you to establish positive habits but also supports breaking undesirable ones. Way of Life features a distinctive color-coded system for streaks, referred to as “chains”: green for successful runs and red for setbacks. The visualization becomes even more comprehensive by collecting data over time, providing insights through charts, trends, and more.

Way of Life seamlessly integrates the Visual Measure Strategy into all your goals. Additionally, you can use the diary function to take notes, recalling what triggered or halted progress. This function even accommodates the habit of Fueling the Fire, allowing you to jot down positive affirmations or reinforcements. Start the year right, and change your life with Way of Life.

Streaks
As an Apple Design Award winner, this app boasts one of the sleekest user interfaces among habit trackers on the market, offering timeless functionality. The daily habit tracker is easy to use and immensely satisfying. True to its name, Streaks revolves around building habits over consecutive days, embodying the mantra of Never Miss Twice. Simply select your desired goals, and your streaks will be meticulously tracked, accompanied by encouragement and timely reminders. Streaks offers a myriad of customization options, from tailored habits aligned with your personal goals to flexible goal settings and durations. Catering to iOS users, it seamlessly integrates with Apple Health and supports Apple Watches. In 2024, this app stands as a must-use tool for self-improvement.

Stats for success

3.74

Months is how long the average new year’s resolution lasts

59%

Of people want to save more money in 2024

37

Times better if you improve 1% every day for a year (1.01^365 = 37.78).

90%

Of information transmitted to the brain is visual

Brief Bullets

New Year’s resolutions offer a great way to anticipate the upcoming year. With a fresh start for 2024, strive to become your best self by using the habits and apps highlighted in this week’s post. Below, you’ll find concise bullets summarizing the key ideas:

Visualizing and measuring goals are among the most powerful tools to harness, especially when combined

It is essential to stay in a positive mindset and leverage momentum to your advantage; setbacks are inevitable, but only set you back as much as you allow them to

Start today and make your future self proud. Every second counts