Strategies For Sustaining New Year’s Resolutions

Here we are at the start of another year.  It is not uncommon to make resolutions or promises to ourselves to do things that enhance the quality of our lives, such as exercising, eating healthy, and not engaging in various self-defeating behaviors. 

          Studies report that approximately 40% of people make New Year’s resolutions, with only 16% keeping all the resolutions they make.  Another 44% partially keep some of their resolutions. 

A Brief History 

          The concept of New Year’s resolutions dates back to ancient times starting with the Babylonians over 4,000 years ago. The Babylonians would make vows at the start of the New Year’s to right past transgressions, repay their debts, and return things they borrowed. They also promised continued loyalty to their king. This was the forerunner of making New Year’s’s resolutions.  

          This practice was later adopted by the Romans and eventually incorporated into Christianity in the 18th century. Eventually, resolutions went beyond being religious and became a mostly secular practice. 

A Fresh Start  

Identified by psychologists as the “Fresh Start” effect, this is a point in time, such as the beginning of the year, a holiday, a birthday, or even the start of a new month, that fosters a feeling of a new beginning with an increased likelihood that people will want to make a positive change in their lives.  

          While January 1st may feel like a fresh start to many, the challenge is how to perpetuate that feeling beyond that moment in time into the days, weeks and months that follow One reason why people give up is that they may be hard on themselves. Instead of accepting even incremental success, people tend to be unduly harsh in evaluating their behavior.  

Tips To Increase The Likelihood Of Success In Keeping Resolutions 

•      Devise a clear-cut plan to meet your goal. Setting a goal without considering all the steps involved in achieving it is not helpful. For instance, if your goal is to stop eating meat, it is not enough to declare that you  will be a vegetarian in the New Year’s. Research what a vegetarian diet looks like and google some recipes and learn how to prepare them. Anticipate some of the obstacles or pitfalls you might experience along the way to achieving your goal and have in mind tools to overcome them when they occur.   

•      Choose a goal that can be fun to achieve. A method known as “temptation building” can make keeping resolutions fun. For instance, if you resolve to exercise more, link it with an activity you enjoy, such as listening to a favorite podcast or watching a TV show. This is the thinking behind Peloton, allowing bide riders to watch various channels on the screen while riding.   

So, if you want to eat healthily, take a cooking class or meet a friend to prepare a healthy recipe. 

•      Consider removing some activities you already have in your life. Think about how committed you are to things you are already doing, and if you are not feeling too attached to them, remove them from your life, giving you more time and opportunity to meet your new goals.    

•      Be Forgiving.  If you lose only a pound after altering your diet, you may be tempted to give up rather than focus on how you have been working to change your behavior and have at least something small to show for it. Consider acknowledging your hard work and celebrate the small successes along the way.  

Instead, view this experience as a process and celebrate small successes. It is a given that setting goals will inevitably involve failure. Practicing selfcompassion is critical to help get through the process.   

•      Evaluate Progress: One way to stay motivated is to track your progress. Having objective data on your successes and a context to evaluate your setbacks will help you stay on track.    

•      Focus on one change at a time. Please do not overwhelm yourself by selecting multiple behaviors to address by prioritizing what you want to address. It will keep you from feeling overpowered or beaten.    

•      Reach out for support. You do not have to undertake keeping resolutions as a solitary pursuit. Open up and share your new goals with close friends. Encouraging them with their goals will help you be accountable and increase the likelihood of sticking with the resolution when it gets a little tough.  

•      Celebrate Milestones. Take stock to acknowledge your successes along the way and give yourself a reward that does not have anything to do with your goal For instance, don’t treat yourself to a candy bar if your goal is to lose weight.   

•      Use visual reminders. Use visual cues to keep your resolutions on the top of your mind. Thus, if you are trying to manage your weight more effectively, keep a picture of yourself or someone else at the weight you desire handy as motivation.  

•      Goals do not have to be written in stone. If necessary, you can modify them and take a more incremental approach. I once worked with someone who wanted to get into better shape and decided he would start running two miles a day. It was soon clear to him that this was unrealistic, and he scaled back on his goal to gradually build up to the outcome he wanted. 

  •      Educate yourself. Before committing to a resolution, take the time to research more thoroughly and learn about the changes you want to make. This can help you pick a realistic strategy and improve your motivation and understanding of your goals.   

•      Keep a resolution journal. Write about your successes and setbacks. Write about why you are setting a particular goal at this time. Keep the resolution journal handy to refer to when you are feeling uninspired and unmotivated.  

 •      Do not forget to find the joy in what you are trying to do. Take the time to enjoy and appreciate what you are trying to do rather than focusing solely on the result.    

A Final Word 

           While many may not see the value of making New Year’s resolutions, they present an opportunity to look at ourselves, address those areas of our lives that we are not happy with, and attempt to take a positive, optimistic approach to improving your life!

“The magic of a New Year’s lies not in the turning of the calendar but in the transformation of aspirations into achievements.”  

 Maya Angelou, American Poet, and Civil Rights Activist 

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