To create a strong incentive when striving for your health intentions, it’s smart to share this with the people who care about you and give you support. This can boost your mental strength and thus create a fertile base to achieve success.

Make a plan

Make a plan, as specific as possible, determine a realistic timeline including achievable steps and inform your social environment. Make sure you inform the right people about your intentions. After all, asking your drinking buddies whether they will help you stop drinking may not be the most strategical move.

Find a buddy

Ideally, you find someone who is willing to fight by your side to reach the same goals. If so, you can support each other to survive tough moments and ask for help. Create a group chat so you can easily keep each other informed and to motivate your peers to go for it the next day. Shared sorrow is easier to cope with and you can amplify fun by sharing your successes with others!

Increase your chances

Researchers (Gokee et al., 2012) showed that when you pursue certain goals in a social setting, seeing another person’s success is highly contagious. The chance of losing weight as part of a team went up by 20 percent compared to people who tried this solo. This underlines the importance of surrounding yourself with people who pursue the same (health)goals.

The Winner’s Mentality

To pursue a goal in a social setting also has a positive influence on your winner’s mentality. By performance as part of a group, external motivation enhances and therefore you are more eager to win. Besides, social expectations have often the motivating effect that you want to meet these expectations.

Persevere

Ideally, you will inspire other people around you to pursue similar (health)goals. Don’t be too hard on yourself and others but encourage each other and focus on the successes. This way, you avoid that it will become a ‘have to’ instead of a ‘want to’, something you really appreciate and want to share with others. Celebrate every success, because that’s what you’re working for!