Emily Maxie
It’s time to ring in 2014, and with the New Year will come a host of New Year’s resolutions. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve hated being asked the question, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”
The idea of making a resolution makes me feel trapped. I feel like no matter what I resolve to change, I’m doomed to fail. That’s probably because I have a bad track record of keeping resolutions. My resolution to write in my journal every day in the fourth grade? Didn’t last more than a few weeks. My resolution to stop drinking diet soda in college? Ended after the caffeine headaches got to be too much for me.
It’s time to ring in 2014, and with the New Year will come a host of New Year’s resolutions. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve hated being asked the question, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”
The idea of making a resolution makes me feel trapped. I feel like no matter what I resolve to change, I’m doomed to fail. That’s probably because I have a bad track record of keeping resolutions. My resolution to write in my journal every day in the fourth grade? Didn’t last more than a few weeks. My resolution to stop drinking diet soda in college? Ended after the caffeine headaches got to be too much for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like the ideas behind resolutions—getting healthier, educating yourself, becoming a better person, etc… But achieving them always feels out of reach.
It turns out I’m not alone! More than 40% of Americans will have a New Year’s resolution, but studies show that only 8% of those people will end up achieving their goals.
What makes those 8% so special? How did they do it? It turns out that psychology experts agree on several elements that can make your resolution more achievable.
1. Get Specific
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of making a resolution like, “I’m going to workout more” or “I want to stress less.” But resolutions like those are too vague to be realistic.
Instead of saying you’ll workout more, commit to working out once a week (or twice or three times, depending on how much you’re working out now). Instead of saying you’ll stress less, decide to take a walk every time you feel yourself giving in to stress.
“Making your resolution more concrete allows you to better monitor it. If you fall behind, you’ll know,” says Melissa Burkley, an associate professor of social psychology at Oklahoma State University in a recent Time article.
It turns out I’m not alone! More than 40% of Americans will have a New Year’s resolution, but studies show that only 8% of those people will end up achieving their goals.
What makes those 8% so special? How did they do it? It turns out that psychology experts agree on several elements that can make your resolution more achievable.
1. Get Specific
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of making a resolution like, “I’m going to workout more” or “I want to stress less.” But resolutions like those are too vague to be realistic.
Instead of saying you’ll workout more, commit to working out once a week (or twice or three times, depending on how much you’re working out now). Instead of saying you’ll stress less, decide to take a walk every time you feel yourself giving in to stress.
“Making your resolution more concrete allows you to better monitor it. If you fall behind, you’ll know,” says Melissa Burkley, an associate professor of social psychology at Oklahoma State University in a recent Time article.
2. Be Realistic
This is a pitfall that I fall into almost every year. I have grand goals for myself in the coming year, so I make resolutions that are out of my reach. And then I beat myself up for not being able to keep them.
One great way to overcome this without setting your bar too low is to give yourself small steps toward reaching your ultimate goals. If you want to drop 20 pounds, don’t try to lose it all at once and don’t make that your initial goal. Instead, make your goal to lose between 1.5 and 2 pounds each month. It’s easier to achieve things in small chunks, plus you’ll have small victories all year long as you achieve your goals.
"Every week look at how well I did to meet where I need to be so you didn't miss your resolution. It gives you the opportunity to find out what worked and what didn't work without [activating] the part of the your brain that says you messed up," suggests Dr. Del Camp, a clinical psychologist at Ozark Center in a recent article.
3. Enlist a Cheerleader
It’s not easy to tackle a New Years resolution on your own. That’s why it’s important to find someone you trust to serve as your cheerleader and accountability partner. It’s so much easier to stick with your resolution if you share it with friends or family. That doesn’t mean you should announce your resolution all over Facebook and Twitter (though I won’t stop you if you really want to). But it’s more important to find an accountability partner you trust that you can report to on a regular basis.
“Enlist the support of a trusted friend or mentor who is able to support you in seeing and moving toward the vision you hold for the new you in the new year. However, also be sure that person is someone who can and will hold you accountable for doing what you say you are going to do,” suggests Dennis Merritt Jones in a recent Huffington Post article.
What's your resolution this year? Tell us in the comments section below or Tweet @adventuringmiss.
This is a pitfall that I fall into almost every year. I have grand goals for myself in the coming year, so I make resolutions that are out of my reach. And then I beat myself up for not being able to keep them.
One great way to overcome this without setting your bar too low is to give yourself small steps toward reaching your ultimate goals. If you want to drop 20 pounds, don’t try to lose it all at once and don’t make that your initial goal. Instead, make your goal to lose between 1.5 and 2 pounds each month. It’s easier to achieve things in small chunks, plus you’ll have small victories all year long as you achieve your goals.
"Every week look at how well I did to meet where I need to be so you didn't miss your resolution. It gives you the opportunity to find out what worked and what didn't work without [activating] the part of the your brain that says you messed up," suggests Dr. Del Camp, a clinical psychologist at Ozark Center in a recent article.
3. Enlist a Cheerleader
It’s not easy to tackle a New Years resolution on your own. That’s why it’s important to find someone you trust to serve as your cheerleader and accountability partner. It’s so much easier to stick with your resolution if you share it with friends or family. That doesn’t mean you should announce your resolution all over Facebook and Twitter (though I won’t stop you if you really want to). But it’s more important to find an accountability partner you trust that you can report to on a regular basis.
“Enlist the support of a trusted friend or mentor who is able to support you in seeing and moving toward the vision you hold for the new you in the new year. However, also be sure that person is someone who can and will hold you accountable for doing what you say you are going to do,” suggests Dennis Merritt Jones in a recent Huffington Post article.
What's your resolution this year? Tell us in the comments section below or Tweet @adventuringmiss.