How to manage your New Year resolutions

Once the clock strikes midnight and a new year begins, many people feel compelled to make life-altering decisions.

“New year, new me” is a familiar sentiment, widely echoed at the start of January. According to studies by the Pew Research Centre, about 49% of adults aged 18 to 29 make at least one New Year’s resolution.

However, many of these resolutions are abandoned before the end of the month. A Master Transformative Coach based in Gauteng, Cheryl Myburgh, said the root of this failure often lies in negative cognitive patterns that limit a person’s ability to follow through on their goals.

Findings from the European Commission show that nearly 80% of people neglect their resolutions by 19 January.

Myburgh explained that negative self-talk plays a significant role, often predetermining failure before a person has even made a genuine attempt.

“One of the most important roles of the subconscious mind is survival,” she said.

“It is designed to avoid pain and seek pleasure. If exercise, for example, is associated with pain in the subconscious, the mind will create excuses to avoid it, convincing you not to go because it anticipates discomfort.”

To counter this, Myburgh suggests practical tools such as goal cards, which are designed to help reshape thought patterns and reinforce positive behaviour.

“These cards help cultivate a new way of thinking,” she explained.

“By repeatedly reading statements that affirm a positive outcome, you begin to shape your reality, because the brain responds to what we consistently tell it.”

Myburgh said that she encourages her clients to write down ten goals they would like to achieve within the year, ensuring they are realistic and attainable.

“You can’t write something like wanting a super yacht in six months if it’s not achievable,” she said.

“Instead, set goals such as losing 10 kilograms or exercising three times a week.”

Furthermore, she noted that while ambition is important, resolutions should be grounded in realism and supported by discipline, especially during moments when motivation fades.