Strategies for Maintaining Your New Year's Goals
Neuroscientist Vera Ludwig, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, specialising in brain health, decision making, and behaviour change, has published a framework in the journal "Perspectives on Psychological Science" that focuses on awareness in goal setting and behaviour change.
Ludwig's framework suggests that daily observation of bodies, thoughts, and emotions, known as mindfulness, can help regulate behaviours. According to Ludwig, mindfulness means observing experiences without judgment and being present in the moment. This practice, she believes, can be combined with productivity and goal-achieving to reach goals and be happier, debunking the myth that mindfulness is the opposite of productivity.
The first step of Ludwig's framework involves recognising goal-incongruent behaviour, such as overeating beyond the point of being full. Reprogramming the brain's reward circuits takes time, and paying attention to a behaviour fewer than 10 times may not always lead to desirable changes.
Ludwig offers six tips for sticking with New Year's resolutions, but the article does not specify what these tips are. However, based on her work and other sources, these recommendations typically include setting realistic and specific goals, practising self-compassion rather than self-criticism, using mindful awareness to observe cravings and impulses, creating supportive environment and habits, tracking progress and celebrating small wins, and using visualisation and positive reinforcement to motivate yourself.
Ludwig also advises taking a self-compassionate approach and viewing behaviour change as an experiment. She recommends practicing mindfulness for as little as five or ten minutes, during activities like sitting, walking, or listening to music. The framework moves through phases, including understanding the outcome of the action, exploring alternative behaviours, and becoming aware of how the new behaviour feels physically and emotionally.
In a self-observation study, Ludwig wrote down thoughts that might have prevented her from meeting her goal, such as feeling too cold or tired. This practice, she believes, can help individuals understand their thought patterns and make necessary adjustments to stick to their resolutions.
For those interested in Ludwig's exact six tips, consulting her official publications or platforms directly may be necessary. The original study related to this article can be found at DOI: 10.1177/1745691620931460.
- Vera Ludwig, a neuroscientist focusing on brain health, decision making, and behavior change, suggests that mindfulness, which involves observing experiences without judgment and being present in the moment, can be combined with productivity and goal-achieving for better mental health and personal growth.
- In her framework for achieving goals and promoting behavior change, Ludwig recommends practicing mindfulness for as little as five or ten minutes, during activities like sitting, walking, or listening to music, and taking a self-compassionate approach, viewing behavior change as an experiment.
- Ludwig also advises that for those interested in her specific tactics for sticking with New Year's resolutions, consulting her official publications or platforms directly may be necessary, as her six tips are not specified in the article, but typically include setting realistic and specific goals, practicing self-compassion rather than self-criticism, using mindful awareness to observe cravings and impulses, creating supportive environment and habits, tracking progress and celebrating small wins, and using visualization and positive reinforcement to motivate oneself.
