Posted by admin on Jan 6, 2013 in Counseling and Therapy | Comments Off on New Year’s Resolutions: How Too Keep Them
2013 is here and with it a chance for a new start. That is what New Year’s resolutions are really all about, a chance to once again try to be the very best self we can be. This becomes even clearer when you look at what people resolve to do. According to Time Magazine the top ten New Year’s Resolutions are lose weight, get fit , quit smoking, learn something new, eat healthier and diet, get out of debt and save money, spend more time with family, travel to new places, be less stressed, volunteer, and drink less. Which one of us couldn’t get behind any of these resolutions? If you haven’t made a New Year’s resolution yet, feel free to borrow from this list.
Researchers have for some time been trying to understand why it is that despite the popularity of New Year’s resolutions, and the good intentions they r represent, only 25% of us is successful in keeping our New Year’s resolutions. In a study published by the University of Scranton Journal it was reported that those in their twenties achieved the highest rate of success keeping New Year’s resolutions and those over 50 had the lowest rate of success.
One of the predictors of whether someone is likely to keep a New Year’s resolution is whether or not they have the skills to do so. One of the key skills required for success is the capacity to believe in oneself. Researchers have found that those who believe that they have the ability to control the way in which they respond to their environment have a higher probability of keeping New Year‘s resolutions. Another way of saying this is that as long as you don’t believe you can lose weight, save money, or be less stressed you won’t be.
It’s all about the stories you tell yourself. In order to change your habits you have to have the ability to imagine yourselves without that habit. You have to believe in that image and use it to motivate yourself to do the hard work necessary to change habits. You have to create a story with the new image of yourselves. Everyone can learn how to do that.
The other factor that increases the likelihood of succeeding in keeping your New Year’s resolution is the length of time you have been contemplating the change. If it’s something you have come up with on the spur of the moment we are less likely to keep the resolution than if the resolution focuses on something you have been thinking about for some time.
New Year’s resolutions focus on changing habits, which is always difficult. It requires dedication and commitment. Sometimes that takes time to develop; habits can be changed at any time if you determine that you feel sufficiently willing to make the sacrifices involved. Good luck!