It’s 2022 and we all start the year off with big goals and ambitions. The problem is, most of us never see them goals through. We’re midway through January and I hope you’re still on track, but the reality is, 2 in 3 people have already given up on their goals and resolutions by the time February comes around.

So, here’s 7 psychology hacks that will give you the best chance of achieving your goals in 2022, so you can close the gap between your intentions and actions.

Motivation is great in the short term to get you started but terrible to keep you going. Motivation is temporary which means if you’re reliant on it, your behaviour will be inconsistent

Motivation gets you started, habits keep you going. Identify as many triggers for your habits (time, location, preceding event, emotion, people) as possible and reinforce them (positive, negative) at the start. Check out our previous blog on Building Effective Habits.

Changing your behaviour without changing your mindset creates an internal conflict. Wanting to exercise daily but still labelling yourself as a lazy person creates a mismatch between your identity and actions. Shift your identity first and your behaviour will follow suit.

Be consistent with your required behaviours. Each day acts as an opportunity to prove to yourself your new identity. Success is less about talent and ability and more about effort and consistency. Ambitious goals are a long-term thing and in the long-term, you are only as good as your consistency.

Take responsibility for creating the life you want to live. Push through the excuses and discomfort. If you think you will fade, pick a friend to hold you accountable or have appropriate punishments in place

Acknowledge roadblocks that may come up along the way. Anticipate distractions and difficult emotions that will arise and create a plan for how you will sidestep or overcome them. Try it yourself and fill in the blank for each emotion or distraction that you can predict:

Make it easy for yourself to stick with and follow all of the pointers above by using the Exercise Mindset Planner. Track your goals, create productive and sustainable habits, increase your productivity and hold yourself accountable.

Good luck with your goals! Check out our Instagram for weekly posts that will help you develop your mindset, boost your motivation and achieve your goals.

Get in touch if you’re looking to level up your mental game and make 2022 the year where you decide to take your performance to new heights.