Do New Year’s resolutions really work, or do they just make people feel better? How often do people make New Year’s resolutions like, “I won’t eat anymore refined sugar for the rest of the year” or “I will workout everyday.” These types of resolutions are among the typical plans that get dropped sooner rather than later. Why don’t New Year’s resolutions stick for everyone and only for the dedicated few? How can an ordinary person make a resolution stick?
Most people don’t make New Year’s resolutions that are too far fetched, like becoming a millionaire within the span of a year. More commonly they include goals like improving physical health and eating healthier. Executive Director of Social Sciences at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Dr. Barb Lesniak said, “…most clients made resolutions tied into physical or mental wellbeing, like exercising or meditating regularly; some tied them into addiction” (snhu.edu). None of these resolutions seem to call upon a high order, other than taking care of oneself. So why is it that it’s more common than not that resolutions end up failing?
Do people make New Year’s resolutions thinking it’ll work better than any regular commitment? “ I think it’s just a mindset [whether or not a New Year’s resolution works better than just a regular one]. It wouldn’t work better or worse if it’s a New Year’s resolution or not. The person’s mindset just needs to be committed,” said Senior Alouni Rajvong, someone who doesn’t make New Year’s resolutions herself. In short, one way to effectively make either a New Year’s resolution or a regular one is by being committed to the change and disciplined to continue striving for one’s goal.
Typically, New Year’s resolutions are constructed with an “all-or-nothing” mindset. This gives no room for mistakes and facilitates the expectation of mere perfection. In an article from Metropolitan State University Denver News and Culture, Professor of Psychology Randi Smith said, “But the one thing that generally dooms resolutions to failure is an all-or-nothing attitude” (red.msudenver.edu). Having a mindset that allows no room for failure, can amplify setbacks, leading to discouragement and lack of motivation.
The lack of sympathy a person has towards themselves after a misstep contributes greatly to their recession. In a passage from a Kaiser Permanente of Georgia’s article on New Year’s resolutions, “One of the most common reasons people abandon New Year’s resolutions is discouragement” (georgia.kaiserpermanente.org). But this doesn’t have to mean failure in all. To combat this cycle, one can strive to banish self-criticism and practice the art of being friendly towards oneself.
In turn, having an open mindset to commitment, not just because it is New Year’s, can truly support the sustainability of one’s goals of improvement. Abandoning an all-or-nothing mindset, which is stated to be a big cause of resolution failure, is another way to keep your resolutions healthy and long-lasting. Lastly, preventing discouragement, which can derail the whole process of growth, is yet another way to get your New Year’s resolutions to stick.