INSTANT WILLPOWER

Do you make the same resolution every year? Maybe last year you even stuck to your new habit for a month or so, but then, somehow, ran out of steam. Well, according to the latest research, you’re simply not flexing the right “mental muscle”.

“The good news is that people don’t need to be born motivated to follow through with things,” says psychologist Dr Sean Young, a leading expert in lifestyle change. “In fact, most research psychologists believe there’s no such thing as a motivated personality. Instead, they say that people do things because of their context, by being in the right – or wrong – place at the right time.” For example, your neighbour who goes for a daily 5am run might seem like a born runner, but she has probably been surrounded by motivators that encourage her to keep exercising, such as friends or partners who make her feel good