As we dive headfirst into the new year, many of us may have made New Year’s resolutions. Research has shown that about half of all adults make New Year’s resolutions. However, fewer than 10% manage to keep them for more than a few months. So what can we do to improve our chances of following through with our resolutions? The psychology behind goal setting may have some answers.
According to Mark Griffiths, a professor of Behavioral Addiction at Nottingham Trent University, “The main reason that people don’t stick to their resolutions is that they set too many or they’re unrealistic to achieve”. The most common resolutions are losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking or other addictive habits, and saving money. And while these may be attainable goals, it is often the way we set these goals that sets us up for failure. For example, some people may be victims of “false hope syndrome”. False hope syndrome is characterised by a person’s unrealistic expectations about how quickly and easily their behaviors will change and their goals will be achieved. When their resolutions don’t come to fruition as quickly or easily as they had hoped, many people will give up entirely. So what specifically can we do to prevent “false hope syndrome” and stay on track to achieving our goals?
Firstly, make your goals realistic and attainable. Perhaps that means breaking up a longer-term goal into more manageable short-term goals, or minimizing the extremity of the goal. For example, instead of resolving to quit drinking completely, try decreasing your weekly alcohol intake. By setting this more realistic and attainable goal, rather than the extreme goal of quitting completely, you will be more likely to stick to it and see success.
It is also important to do one thing at a time. The more resolutions you have, the less likely you are to achieve any of them. If you want to live a healthier lifestyle, choose to exercise once a week or eat more fruits and vegetables. Which leads to the other important aspect of setting New Year’s resolutions.
Be “SMART” in your goal setting. “SMART” stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Rather than making a vague resolution of “I want to be healthier”, decide what specifically you want to change about your lifestyle. Choose an aspect of your routine that you can change, such as a part of your diet, and connect it to something measurable, such as your waistline or dress size. It also helps to have a time-sensitive goal, such as losing a certain amount of weight by summer break. But, it is also important to be honest with yourself and recognize that there will probably be lapses as part of the process, and that resolutions don’t have to be completed in the early part of the year. If you accept that you may make mistakes along the way, and that you might not reach your goal in the specific amount of time you wanted to, you will be much less likely to abandon the resolution entirely.
Lastly, it always helps to include other people in your resolution process, whether it be someone to achieve the goal with, or simply someone to hold you accountable. So share your resolution with your friends and family. This way they can be a source of support, and they will be aware of preventing temptation for you. Maybe they will even join in on the resolution with you. If, for example, your partner is working towards the same resolution you are, you can be each other’s support. Plus it’s always easier to change a certain aspect of your behavior when those close to you aren’t engaging in that old habit.
Due to the fact that New Year’s resolutions are notorious for failing, many people have given up on the concept. But if you follow the suggestions above, you may find yourself to be successful. And if you think this all sounds like too much hard work and that it’s not worth making resolutions to begin with, keep in mind that according to a 2002 study, people who make New Year’s resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t. So make a resolution this year, make it SMART, and maybe this year will finally be the year that you maintain your New Year’s resolution past the first few months of the year.
By: Cianna Allen