Is a New Years resolution worth it?

Is making a New Years resolution worth the effort? A 2002 study showed that about half of the population make new year’s resolutions, yet about 10% are able to keep them longer than a few months.  So why bother?

The psychology of New Year’s resolutions (from theconversation.com)

 The case for making New Year’s resolutions:

Why would you bother, here are some reasons why:

1/ The New Year gives you an opportunity for a fresh start.   We don’t have to be trapped by what has happened in the past.  We can look at things in a fresh way.

2/ “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”—The thought ‘I have always been an angry person’, could be re-framed as ‘I am a person seeking to be more constructive in the way I deal with issues’.   Same person but a very different lens.

3/ Fresh starts give hope—Whether it is New Years or any other times, fresh starts give us hope that positive change is possible.

4/ Writing down goals can be a very effective way to make your goals concrete—Often goals are talked about but not written down.  Writing goals down are a sign of extra commitment.

5/ Is it worth the risk—Often the first question for people about trying something new is: “what if I fail?”.  The question can be asked in a different way: “what if I succeed?”

Tips for being part of the 10 percent

90 percent aren’t implementing their goals after 2 months, but 10 per cent are.  How can we become part of the 10 percent?

Tip 1—Make sure your goals are realistic— Saying ‘I will exercise for 2 hours a day’ may not be realistic if you have to commute and you have other responsibilities in your day.  Look for what you can realistically commit to.

Tip 2—Write your goals down and place them in a place where you can review them constantly. Don’t be afraid to revise this list.  If you revised your goal of exercising for 2 hours a day, to going to a walk for half an hour each day and you were able achieve this, then you are 30 minutes better off than you were before!

Tip 3—Be kind to yourself—Self loathing and negative self-talk are not going to be helpful in your journey.  A bully never motivated anyone! Seek to focus on what you have achieved rather than what you haven’t.   Focus on what you can commend yourself for, rather than what you may be tempted to condemn yourself for. Challenging ourselves with encouragement (such as ‘I have got this’ or ‘this is tough, but I have great support to work through the challenge’) is more positive motivation than being mean to ourselves.

Tip 4—Little steps are cumulative—Each little success can lead to significant progress over time.  For example, improved fitness comes from consistent and gradual training rather than large bursts of energy that are not sustained. 

Tip 5—Find support and accountability—Accountability and support greatly increases the probability of success.  At Best Life Counselling we are here to help you succeed.

So whether it is the New Year or anytime, making a new and realistic goal, that can be reviewed and adjusted if needed, could be the first step to another success in your life. Go for it, and happy New Year!