Resolutions: Make Them Without Breaking Them
Why People Make New Years' Resolutions
There may be lots of reasons people make resolutions, but the idea to "start fresh" is wired into our thinking. It's called the "fresh start effect". We tend to think of our lives as chapters in a book, rather than a fluid, continual timeline. Often, we think back on life and refer to time as defined by factors, such as childhood, high school, college, that time you lived in that one apartment, pre-marriage, or after you had your first child. There are natural chapter-starter points in our lives, so it makes sense we'd look to the new year as a new start -- a new chapter.
The Statistics of Resolutions
Improved fitness continually ranks as the most common resolution theme. Research shows less than half of people who set a resolution actually keep it. Research shows that 35% of people who made resolutions stuck to all of their goals, and 50% of people kept some of their resolutions. The average resolution lasts less than four months. So while resolutions may fail for many people, for others, a resolution can fuel them toward their goals.
How to Choose and Keep Your Resolutions
Start, don't stop: A study looked at resolutions of "avoidance" goals (stopping smoking, no eating sugar, etc.) versus "approach" goals (starting new habits like going to the gym twice a week or drinking more water). Approach goals were 25% more successful. Instead of stopping habits, you should create new ones! Think about what you want to start in 2024, rather than what you want to stop.
Get specific: Rather than saying, "I will start drinking more water", set a goal each day with a specific amount of water intake, such as "I will drink at least 80 ounces of water per day."
Pick just one or two goals: If you set too many resolutions, it can feel overwhelming. Once you falter on one goal, they can all go out the door. Instead, pick just one, maybe two, goals to focus on and give all your attention to those.
Set short-term goals: Break down your overall resolution into shorter time frame goals. For example, if your goal is to run a 5K, decide your approach for the first week, the first month, and the first three months. (Examples might be: In the first week of January, you'll download a running training app. In the first month, you'll research which 5K to do and you'll register for it. Over the first three months, you'll follow the running app's training plan every week.)
Share your goals: Research shows that telling others about your goals helps you stick to them. Allow your loved ones to help you with accountability by sharing your resolutions with them. I can be your accountability buddy -- reply to this email to share with me your resolutions, and I'll check in with you periodically to see how it's going!
So, what's your resolution for 2024?!
