Transcript:
New Year’s can be a great time to set climate-friendly goals – like driving less, eating less meat, or saving energy at home.
But even if you’re excited about your resolutions on January first, following through for the rest of the year can be hard.
Ballard: “Things come in that challenge our motivation, so stress, difficult emotional situations, tiredness – all those things cause our motivation to weaken.”
Ian Ballard, an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside, studies how people make decisions and pursue goals.
He says to make resolutions stick, break them into manageable steps. And reward yourself for hitting milestones – for example, if you bike to work for a week, buy yourself a treat.
He also suggests teaming up with a friend to work toward a shared goal, which can provide an extra boost of motivation and accountability.
And he recommends making a plan for what to do if you’re struggling to stay on track.
Ballard: “So it can be as simple as, if I fail to keep this resolution, then I’m going to set aside some time on a Sunday evening to think about how I can change the resolution and set a new goal going forward.”
So instead of giving up, you can keep your commitment to climate action all year long.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
