How many resolutions did you make this year? Better yet, how many are you still keeping?
The answer to the first question may help predict your answer to the second question.
According to Psychology Today, between 40 and 50 percent of all people in the United States make resolutions each year. The most common topics focus on losing weight, increasing exercise, decreasing smoking, or improving finances.
But only about 8 percent of those people succeed in keeping their resolutions to the end of the year. Many only get as far as February before they find themselves starting to give up on those resolutions.
Researchers have suggested many reasons why people are more likely to fail than succeed at their New Year’s resolutions.
Willpower turns to no power
Keeping resolutions often becomes an act of willpower. We try to force ourselves into a pattern that is new or different from what we are used to.
The problem, according to psychologist Roy Baumeister from Florida State University, is that each of us has a limited supply of willpower. Willpower uses energy and like any source of energy, it can run low if you use it too much or too fast.
And it’s not just keeping your resolution that depletes this power supply. Everyday activities such as making decisions at work or at home can also tap into the same source of energy. So if you have to make tough decisions, don’t be surprised if it’s harder to keep your resolution that day.
Two may be too many
Another trap many people fall into is overwhelming the ability to keep resolutions by making too many at once. Again, the more times you have to draw on willpower to keep one resolution, the less power you have to keep others. So multiple resolutions can actually work against each other, even if the concepts behind them are very different.
Wishful thinking
Some people seem to believe that by making resolutions they can force themselves to behave differently. But according to psychology professor Timothy Pychyl, the reality is that if you are not really ready to change a bad habit, making a resolution won’t help.
Setting unrealistic resolutions or being overly ambitious in what you hope to accomplish can also lead to failure. For example, setting a weight loss goal that is too large can lead to failure because the goal is too far away. A series of smaller, more realistic goals can help build confidence as you succeed along the way.
But even this type of goal-setting can lead to failure if you believe reaching your goal will accomplish something completely different. For example, you might succeed at keeping a resolution to lose weight, but still feel like a failure if your weight loss does not suddenly improve your life in the way you imagined it would.
So what can you do to help yourself get to the end of the year with your resolutions intact?
Change the way your think
New thinking can create new neural pathways in your brain that eventually become habits. Habits not only don’t use energy from your willpower supply, they actually help conserve that power so it is ready for other needs.
But don’t think you can make a new habit by trying to “not do” something. That kind of action reinforces and strengthens the existing habit instead of creating the new one you want. Concentrate on doing the new, “right” thing, not avoiding the old way.
One step at a time
Don’t try to do too much at once. This applies to the number of resolutions you attempt, as well as the size of goals you work toward. Choose one key resolution to stick to, and be specific about the goal.
Don’t worry about how you will do next week or next month. Concentrate on immediate challenges, and plan for how you will succeed today and in the near future.
Celebrate success
Don’t wait for milestones to celebrate. Every day you keep your resolution is an accomplishment that can be recognized. If you have an accountability partner, share your progress on a regular basis so you can celebrate your success together.
If you, like many people, have already let your New Year’s resolutions slide, don’t give up on yourself. You don’t have to wait until next year to try again.
Choose one realistic goal that you truly believe you can achieve, and let today be the first day of your new resolution.
Sources:
Psychology Today. 6 Reasons You Probably Won’t Achieve Your Resolutions. Ray Williams. Web. January 27, 2016.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201512/6-reasons-you-...
University of Toronto: Research and Innovation. Why can’t I keep my New Year’s resolution? Interview with psychology professor Peter Herman. Web. January 27, 2016.
http://www.research.utoronto.ca/why-cant-i-keep-my-new-years-resolution
Reviewed January 29, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith