Most Australians give up on their resolutions for a healthier and wealthier new year at the first turn but experts say by breaking down our goals we are more likely to achieve success.
Health and financial goals make up the bulk of resolutions, with exercising and healthy eating the most common, according to research by fitness app, MyFitnessPal.
Dietician Susie Burrell says unrealistic new year’s resolutions can actually be more harmful than helpful and breaking the challenge down into bite size pieces is one way to improve success.
“Instead of focusing on some distant goal to feel happy, building habits bit by bit gives you frequent little wins to keep you motivated,” Ms Burrell said.
Focusing on one small goal at a time, like prepping meals the night before or going to the gym three-four times each week can help balance resolutions with the reality of a busy life.
Recruiting a friend to provide support and accountability can also help, as well as dropping the “all or nothing” mindset that can cause people to throw in the towel after one minor slip-up.
Research is showing financial goals growing in importance for Australians this year and when it comes to money, experts agree “small wins” are the name of the game.
According to new research commissioned by iSelect, 35 per cent of Australians said they’d like to reduce their cost of living in 2023.
Most, or 77 per cent, said they plan on doing this by cutting back on unnecessary or luxury purchases, while 67 per cent planned to reduce their energy consumption to cut down on power bills and just over half, or 52 per cent, want to look for a better deal on household bills and expenses.
Aware Super group executive advice Sarah Forman said there are often better deals available in areas like mortgages and super that may take a little bit of shopping around for.
“Over the Christmas period, try and tick small wins off the list,” Ms Forman said.
“If a Christmas bonus or a pay rise is on the agenda, think about paying off debt, putting some of it towards savings or voluntary super contributions.”
Aiming to pay off non-deductible debts like a car loan or buy now pay later services is another chance to start improving financial health.
Ms Forman also suggests checking MyGov for any lost super, asking employers if they offer yearly benefits, like health, sport and education packages.
“Make the most of them before the yearly cut-off or work out how you are going to spend the packages in the new year,” she said.
“If you are an older Australian, look into the Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card. It’s now opened to a higher income limit, and you could be eligible for around $3000 in benefits a year.”
