How to stay motivated and stick to new year’s resolutions

Personally, I have been there many times. So, for this year I’ve been trying to think of ways to stay motivated and stick to my new year’s resolutions.

I thought I’d get some inspiration from someone who’s been there and done it so I spoke to Eoin, our UK Regional Rep for London. Eoin gave up drinking alcohol for a whole three months and he shared with me how turning this challenge into a fundraiser helped him make an impact, not only on his own life, but also on the lives of animals raised for food.

Eoin, in summer 2020, you decided to give up alcohol for 90 days. What moved you to set yourself a challenge like this?

Towards the end of 2019 I did a life review and it became clear that one of the most important changes to my wellbeing I could make was to be more mindful of my relationship with alcohol.

While I really enjoyed a good night out, I noticed that it would take a toll on my mental health for days after and I would generally feel more fatigued. I was also curious about trying some other fun things with the time I would have spent hungover and the money I would have previously used to pay for pints.

When you first started the challenge, did you face any difficulties?

There were, of course, some difficulties to begin with. I had some anxieties around how my friends and family would perceive the fundraiser. I worried that they might not understand or accept that I didn’t want to drink as much anymore and that I might lose those connections and friendships.

I also worried about asking for donations so publicly and what people might think. However these anxieties were ill-founded; I was genuinely overwhelmed by the generosity and support of my friends who realised this was important to me.

There were also some habitual behaviours, such as drinking while watching movies or on days when I was feeling low, then I felt I wanted to give up. But in time these faded.

You turned your challenge into a fundraiser for The Humane League UK so you could hold yourself accountable. Can you tell us a bit more about this idea?

Veganuary worked extremely well during my transition to a vegan diet so I had high hopes for Dry January. However, I found that I didn't see as much lasting change in my drinking habits as I would have liked.

Maybe this was because there wasn’t a direct link in my mind to a wider, large-scale sense of purpose. When I changed to a plant-based diet, I knew it meant less suffering not only for myself, but also for many animals. But when changing my drinking habits, the only one positively affected was my future self.

So to help me find motivation and stick to my resolution, I created a link between changing my drinking habits and helping a vast number of individuals, by raising money for The Humane League UK.

Imagine you wouldn't have run a fundraiser alongside your '90 days sober' challenge. What would have been different?

Had I tried to do this privately I would never have known the level of support I had in my friendship group. I also felt some obligation to fulfil my promise to stay off alcohol. Had I just promised this to myself I would have been much less likely to hold myself accountable.

What would be your message to other animal advocates who decide to do a longer term fundraising challenge like yours?

I really am so grateful for doing this challenge this year. I would really encourage others to set aside any anxieties they might have and try it.

It was really a win-win situation for me and for the animals. Not only did I complete the challenge, I also found out I had a group of friends who really supported me and I felt like I was part of creating positive change in the world.

Do you have a personal growth project you would like to turn into an opportunity for yourself and animals? Find out more about fundraising through our Impact Squad.