'Tis
season for making – and breaking – New Year's Resolutions…Are you one of 40-50% of Americans who make a resolution each year? If you are, will you be part of 20% who keeps them, or 80% who breaks them?
Fortunately, new research reveals proven strategies that can dramatically increase your chances of keeping your resolutions, and turning year-end ambitions into year-long lifestyle changes.
But first, facts about New Year's Resolutions (or, as we will call them, NYRs)…
JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM…
- Each year about this time, 40-50% of Americans intend to make a resolution - This percentage has roughly doubled since 1930s and 1940s - The vast majority of resolutions fall into three categories: losing weight, quitting smoking, and starting an exercise program - NYRs are ancient. Over 4,000 years ago, Babylonians tried to start New Year “fresh” by repaying debts and returning borrowed items. Two thousand years ago, Romans ended year by reviewing one before, resolving to achieve more, and paying homage to Janus, god of doorways and beginnings (and namesake of month January). - Surprise! The vast majority of people who make resolutions break them. Usually quickly.
THE BIG QUESTION: DO THEY WORK?
Do New Year's Resolutions work? Well, sort of. Research suggests that long-term success rates of NYRs are only about 15-20%. Put another way, 80-85% are not able to keep their resolutions over a one to two year period. For example, at some point in their lives, nearly half of Americans have made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or change their eating habits; of those, 20% broke their resolution within a week, 68% broke it within three months, and only 15% kept their resolution for a year or longer.
But news isn't all bad. The process of making a commitment like a New Year's resolution does appear to increase likelihood of making a life change and sticking to it. In other words, only 15-20% of resolution-makers are able to keep their resolutions, but people who try to make same kinds of life changes without making a resolution do even worse.
THE EVEN BIGGER QUESTION
How can you increase your chances of sticking to your resolution? (Or, for you non-resolution makers, making some other kind of life change). Fortunately, research has revealed success strategies of resolution-keepers.
1. Start with realistic goals
Many people make resolutions that are so ambitious, they have little hope of achieving them. Although such ambitious goals can sometimes be motivating and inspirational, they are more often daunting and overwhelming. The result: people give up because they think that "there's no way to get there from here." For example, obese people typically set goals of losing three times more than they have typically lost in prior weight loss efforts.
