one: Mr Laukamp, the year is still quite young and the first good New Year's resolutions are already falling apart. How do I manage to realise my resolutions and, above all, stick to them?

Fabian Laukamp: The problem doesn't lie in the implementation, but starts one step beforehand. Point one: formulating a resolution. I want to do more sport - that sounds great, but it's not goal-orientated at all. What we need in order to persevere are answers to specific questions: How much sport do I want to do? On which days? What will I do if something comes up? The better a resolution is planned, the better I can achieve it.

Fabian Laukamp Point two: Set yourself realistic time frames. I want to do 50 push-ups in a row this year - that's a huge mountain piling up in front of me. It's good to set yourself small intermediate goals. For example: my goal for the first week or month is five or ten push-ups in a row, depending on my fitness level. These are achievable goals that give me a sense of achievement. And then you should definitely celebrate these interim successes - and yourself.

Point three: Visualise your goal. We like to make our resolutions verbally and preferably quietly to ourselves. Write them down, tell close people about them, who can then remind you of your resolution if the worst comes to the worst. I find this social component enormously important for perseverance.

Visualising also works with photos: The colleague who wants to lose some weight for her sister's wedding by eating more consciously pins a photo of her bridesmaid's dress on the fridge as motivation. If you want to gain muscle, take photos of yourself at regular intervals to see your progress.

one: And when the first motivational boost is over, do you just do five push-ups...?

Fabian Laukamp: The most important thing is to know your motivator. You have to know what's behind the resolution. Why do I want to do more sport, why do I want to stop smoking or eat more healthily? If I know why a resolution is important to me personally, then it's easier for me to stick to it. And it's also easier if we don't start all our resolutions on 1 January.

one: If not necessarily New Year, then when is a good time to make a change?

Fabian Laukamp: I can understand that people want to embrace the spirit of optimism that a new year brings. But my tip is: spread your good intentions over the whole year. Because if you start everything at the same time: do more sport, cook healthier meals, spend more time with your family.... This is doomed to failure. However, once a resolution has become a habit, I can start on the next one.

one: What if I fail at a resolution?

Fabian Laukamp: Every resolution can fail. It's just important to realise that failing to achieve a goal is not the end of a good resolution. After all, setting a goal in the first place or gradually approaching it is basically a success in itself. Failure only means that the overall goal was perhaps unrealistic or that possible obstacles were not sufficiently taken into account. In such a case, the motto is: reflect and readjust. So: Why did I fail? What have I learnt from it? What positive things might I even take away from this failure? Strictly speaking, failure helps you to set yourself a new and realisable goal.

Psychologist Fabian Laukamp is the contact person for REWE Group's Gemeinsam.topfit app. The app offers lots of interesting facts about health and REWE Group's offers.
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