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The action phase
The New Year's resolution or 'action phase' is when you're highly motivated for change. Use it to set things in motion and automate as much as you can.
- Put your bills on autopay
- Start using a savings app
- Cut out any subscriptions you don't really need.
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People cycle through periods of motivation, especially in the New Year. It’s best to harness these bursts of 'can-do energy' whenever they appear.
If you don't have a plan when the New Year's glow has worn off in a few months, you will stop doing whatever you promised to do.
To force yourself to stick to a budget:
- Write down everything you spend.
- Add it up at the end of every week.
- Submit a report to help keep you accountable.
It is common to have a setback. Once the initial streak of success has worn off, you may lose momentum and fail to press on.
Do not take an all-or-nothing approach. Do not stop altogether. Instead, be flexible and learn from your mistakes.
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Rewiring your brain, new neural pathways are formed to replace old habits of thinking. This phase is critical, because thoughts lead to emotions, which lead to behavior. To do that:
- Keep a daily journal or meditate. Notice the repeating thoughts, especially the ones that feel heavy and make you anxious.
- Daily, at the end of the day, list 10 things you’re grateful for. Gratitude can quickly shift your internal world.
- Let go of your victim story. Remind yourself that you no longer want to be a victim.
- Choose and test your beliefs daily.
- Believe in something bigger than yourself. Faith in a higher power can be the antidote to two symptoms of burnout — helplessness and hopelessness.
Researchers pointed out that mindfulness does not affect people's interest in exercise. Mindfulness affects exercise indirectly by boosting satisfaction because one feels satisfied when you are engaged in a positive experience.