1 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the tactics 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,559 Speaker 1: used by leading innovators to get so much out of 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: their day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha Imba. I'm an 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: organizational psychologist, the CEO of Inventium, and I'm obsessed with 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 1: finding ways to optimize my workday. Now, today's show is 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: the last mini episode for the year, and I thought 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: i'd tackle the topic of New Year's resolutions because hopefully, 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: as your work is starting to wind down for the 9 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: year and you're getting ready for the holidays, you might 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: also be thinking about New Year's resolutions. But what we 11 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: know is that for eighty percent of people, six weeks 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: is about how long it takes for their New Year's 13 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: resolutions to fail. 14 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: Which I think is kind of crazy. 15 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: That's one and a half months before people kind of 16 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: give up or revert back to their old habits. So 17 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: if you want to be the exception rather than the rule, 18 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to share five hacks to give your resolutions 19 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: the best chance of success. The first thing that you 20 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: can do, which I've actually mentioned in a previous episode, 21 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: is to change one word in your self talk. 22 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: So what does this mean? 23 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: So what this is all about is marketing professor Vanessa 24 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: Patrick a few years ago recruited one hundred and twenty 25 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: university students and taught them two different strategies for managing 26 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: unhealthy food temptations. One group was taught to say I 27 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: can't eat X when presented with an unhealthy snack, so 28 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: I can't eat chocolate, for example, and the other group 29 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: was taught to say I don't eat X. 30 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: Well, I don't eat chocolate. 31 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: Participants were then asked to complete a different and irrelevant task, 32 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: But then when they got up to leave the room, 33 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: the crux of the experiment happened. They were offered a 34 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: chocolate bar and a healthy granola bar or the experimenters 35 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: quietly noted which part is. 36 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: Recipants picked which bar. It turns out there was. 37 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: A big difference between the strategy people were taught and 38 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: the bar they picked. Thirty nine percent of those who 39 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: were taught to say I can't eat X chose the 40 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: healthy granola bar, but in contrast, sixty four percent of 41 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: those in the I don't eat X group picked the 42 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: granola bar. In other words, changing one simple word increased 43 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: the likelihood of selecting the healthy snack by over fifty percent. 44 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: So if your year's resolutions involves stopping a particular behavior, 45 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: saying that you don't do this behavior rather than you 46 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:39,399 Speaker 1: can't do this behavior will significantly increase self chances of success. 47 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 2: Now, the second. 48 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: Strategy I want to talk about involves expressing gratitude to 49 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: increase your self control. So sticking to resolutions of any 50 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: kind involves self control, because, after all, we're trying to 51 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,239 Speaker 1: change habits that we've possibly had. 52 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 2: For many, many years. 53 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: David Destino, a psychology professor from Northeastern University, set out 54 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: to explore whether there are an act as simple as 55 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: being grateful could improve our self control muscle. Destino asked 56 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: people to spend a few minutes thinking about an event 57 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: that made them feel grateful, happy, or neutral. They were 58 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: then offered the choice of receiving eighteen dollars immediately or 59 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: one hundred dollars in a year. People who thought about 60 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: an event they felt grateful for were twice as likely 61 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: to wait one year for the extra money compared to 62 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: the groups that thought about happy or neutral events. In 63 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: other words, by feeling grateful, people were able to exert 64 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: greater self control. So to help your news resolution stick, 65 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: spend a few minutes every day thinking about something you're 66 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: grateful for, because doing so will build up your will 67 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: power and give your resolutions the. 68 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 2: Best chance of success. 69 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: Now, the third strategy I want to share involves writing 70 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: down your resolutions on a sheet of paper. So social 71 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: scientists Delia Coffee. I'm not sure if I pronounced that correctly, 72 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: but hopefully I did, and Randy Garner explored the difference 73 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: in commitment to goals when they are made actively versus passively. 74 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: So the researchers set up an experiment where by students 75 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: were asked to volunteer for an AIDS education project. Of 76 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: those people who simply told the researchers verbally that they 77 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: would volunteer this is the passive group, only seventeen percent 78 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: actually turned up on the volunteering day, and in contrast, 79 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: those who wrote down their commitment to volunteer it's also 80 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: known as the active group, had a forty nine percent 81 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: attendance rate. This is more than double. The reason why 82 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: writing down commitments more than doubles the chance of sticking 83 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: to them is that we infer more about ourselves through 84 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: the way we act. So taking the action of writing 85 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: down a goal says much more about yourself compared to 86 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: just thinking about a goal, and as such we're more 87 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: likely to follow through. Now a couple more strategies to 88 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: help you be someone that sticks to your resolutions from 89 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: more than six weeks. So the fourth one I want 90 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: to talk about is just setting one resolution to start with. 91 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: And this might sound kind of weird because we often 92 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 1: talk about news resolutions in the plural. 93 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 2: It's assumed that we'll set more than just one. But 94 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:17,919 Speaker 2: this is where we could be getting it all wrong. 95 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: So New Year's resolutions are generally about habit changed, and 96 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: habits are hard to change. They take a large amount 97 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: of self control and self discipline. So psychology professor Roy F. 98 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: Baumeister recommends starting with just one resolution and starting with 99 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: the easiest one first. By starting with the easiest one, 100 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: you'll hopefully get some success and build up momentum, and 101 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: by doing so, exercise your willpower muscle, which will. 102 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: Help it get stronger and stronger. 103 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: This then increases the chance of success for changing more 104 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: challenging habits. 105 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 2: Okay, one final. 106 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: Tip to help you stick to your resolutions, and that 107 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: is to set mini goals to create a sense of progress. 108 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: Because many people's resolutions consist of big goals like quit smoking, 109 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: lose fifteen pounds or. 110 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: Kilos, go to the gym every day. 111 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: So a little trick to help you achieve your resolutions 112 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: is to break your big goal into sub goals. For example, 113 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: if your goal is to lose fifteen kilos, break it 114 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: down into losing five killos in January five and February 115 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 1: and five in March. Have Professor Theresa Amabel found that 116 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: creating small wins is the key to driving engagement in 117 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: what we do, and by breaking your goal into a 118 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: series of little goals, you'll feel a bigger sense of 119 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: progress through hitting your smaller goals more frequently. 120 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 2: So by spending. 121 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: Time thinking critically about the resolutions you set this year, 122 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: and perhaps using one or more of these psychology hacks, 123 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: you'll give yourself the best chance of being in this 124 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: very select group of twenty percent of people whose New 125 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: Year's resolutions are still going strong many months into the 126 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: new year. Now that is it for today's episode and 127 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: final mini episode. 128 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 2: Of the year. And I know I always ask. 129 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: If you could leave a review, but consider leaving a 130 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: review a wonderful Christmas present for this particular podcast host. 131 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 2: All you need to do is just click on the 132 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: Star rating, or if you're feeling extra generous this year, 133 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: maybe write a few words as to why you have 134 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: hopefully enjoyed this podcast this year, and I will see 135 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: you next time.