New Year's resolution ideas 2018: Here are the most popular choices - and how to stick to them

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And just like that, it’s 2018. Where did 2017 go? All we can remember is a mash up of Trump, Brexit and Meghan Markle.

With January comes the opportunity to start afresh, and people around the world resolve to change something in their lives for the better.

According to a recent YouGov poll, the most popular New Year’s resolutions for 2018 are as follows:

1. Eat better

2. Exercise more

3. Spend less money

4. Self care (i.e. get more sleep)

5. Read more books

6. Learn a new skill

7. Get a new job

8. Make new friends

9. Get a new hobby

10. Focus more on appearance

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These resolutions were found after YouGov asked a sample of 1,170 adults what their 2018 resolution would be. Like other years, eating better, exercising and saving money topped the list.

However, another recent poll by Bupa asked 2,000 people whether they were confident they would stick to their goals – only half thought they would. So what’s the best way to stick to your New Year’s resolutions?

Whether you are trying to eat better, sleep more or read more books, the key is to make the goal achievable, or break it up into smaller, more achievable steps.

For example, if your New Year’s resolution is to exercise more often don’t throw yourself into exercising five times per week. You don’t even need to join a gym. Go for a half an hour walk or jog before work or when you get home three times a week – or do a half an hour of body weight-based session in your home.

This will get you into the habit of exercising, and so you can increase the amount you exercise as you get fit and join the gym when you’re ready and know you can commit.

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Or if you are trying to sleep more, you won’t be able to jump from five hours per night to eight hours straight away so spend a week going to bed half an hour earlier than you usually would. Keep increasing this week on week until you are getting the full eight hours and feeling like a million bucks.

The same notion can be applied for those who want to save money, you won’t be able to change your spending habits straight off the bat - especially with the cost of living in London - but small changes like writing down what you are spending and sticking to a budget can make all the difference.

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However, if you are tackling a larger goal like finding a new job or making new friends, this will require more effort. Finding a new job takes time so always keep your eyes open for job adverts and set aside time to apply. Making new friends is also hard to do in a big city, but the best way to go about it is joining a group or team (think a book club or a sports team) to find like-minded people.

New Year’s resolutions don’t need to be daunting, you just need to be proactive about it. While we might not think there is enough time in our days to achieve our goals, just 20 minutes per day working towards your resolution can make all the difference.