Wednesday 28 December 2016
Psychologists have found we’re more likely to succeed if we break our resolution into smaller goals that are specific, measurable and time-based.
Professor Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, tracked 5,000 people as
they attempted to achieve their New Year’s resolutions.
His team found that those who failed tended not to have a plan, which made their resolution soon feel like a mountain to climb.
Some focused too much on the downside of not achieving their goal, adopted role models, fantasised about their goal or relied on will power alone.
“Many of these ideas are frequently recommended by self-help experts but our results suggest that they simply don’t work,” says Prof Wiseman.
“If you are trying to lose weight, it’s not enough to stick a picture of a model on your fridge or fantasise about being slimmer.”
He said the 10% of participants in the study who had achieved their target broke their goal into smaller goals and felt a sense of achievement when they
achieved these.
“Many of the most successful techniques involve making a plan and helping yourself stick to it,” says Prof Wiseman.
Top 10 goal-setting tips when making a resolution to become a foster carer.
Prof Wiseman’s top 10 tips to achieving your New Year’s resolutions and how they apply to a resolution to become a foster carer.
1. Make only one resolution. Your chances of success are greater when you channel energy into changing just one aspect of your behaviour.
Forget all those plans to lose weight. Drink less. Etc. Just make a single resolution to become a foster carer or to fully check out if you could become
a foster carer.
2. Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to think about your resolution and instead take some time out a few days before and reflect upon what you really want to achieve.
In the run up to New Year’s Eve, have a good look at our website, give one of our foster carer recruitment team a call. ( Yes! We are working between Christmas
and New Year)
3. Avoid previous resolutions. Deciding to revisit a past resolution sets you up for frustration and disappointment.
As a item 1. Don’t get side tracked, or distracted or by previous failed resolutions or side-tracked by making more than one resolution. Just make the
one. Make the decision to check out fostering.!
4. Don’t run with the crowd and go with the usual resolutions. Instead think about what you really want out of life.
Being a foster carer could never be described as running with the crowd… What most of us want out of life is to feel we are doing something worthwhile.
Fostering could really change your life and the child’s life. What could be more worthwhile than that?
5. Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are concrete, measurable and time-based.
The steps you would need to take to check out fostering are as follows:
6.Tell your friends and family about your goals. You’re more likely to get support and want to avoid failure.
If you are seriously considering becoming a foster carer, you definitely need to have a chat with your family. Ideally, they will give their full support.
7. Regularly remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goals by creating a checklist of how life would be better once you obtain your aim.
There are lots of benefits to becoming a foster carer. Here are three of them:
As a foster carer:
8. Give yourself a small reward whenever you achieve a sub-goal, thus maintaining motivation and a sense of progress.
The first step to becoming a foster carer is to contact us- either by phone on (01993) 706925 or by completing an online enquiry form.
After taking this first step, you will come to see that fostering this is something you really could do and enjoy!
9. Make your plans and progress concrete
Book a date for some on our recruitment advisers to call to see you at home or Book to come to one of our local introductory training or information events.
10. Expect to revert to your old habits from time to time. Treat any failure as a temporary setback rather than a reason to give up altogether.
When anyone really starts to think about fostering, they quickly realise that there is a good deal to think about and consider. It’s not a momentary decision.
It’s a life changing decision. The important thing is to make the decision based on full information. If you have a worry or query about this or that
aspect of fostering, don’t get stuck. Just give us a call and we will be very happy to help.
Happy New Year!
Best Wishes
From everyone at the fp.c fostering team.
Acknowledgement. Based on NHS choices New Year’s Publication 18th December 2016. Many thanks to Professor Richard Wiseman of
the University of Hertfordshire.