I Don’t Believe in New Year’s Resolutions

I don’t believe in New Years Resolutions. Research by Psychology professor JC Norcross shows that only 77 percent of people kept their New Year’s Resolutions for one week. One week! Only 19 percent were still at it two years later. That’s a failure rate of 81 percent.

So why do so many people make New Years Resolutions if they’re statistically likely to fail? Well, another study by Norcross finds that “Resolvers reported higher rates of success [at weight loss, smoking cessation and exercise programs] than nonresolvers; at six months, 46% of the resolvers were continuously successful compared to 4% of the nonresolvers.”

There is power in attempting to change one’s behavior. Change never happens if you don’t try, but just declaring that the next year will be better in a specific area of life doesn’t work.

Why doesn’t it work?

A few years ago I read the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. In it he discusses the research behind habits and how change really comes to be. Often we focus on getting results instead of changing our habits.

I believe in making goals. I write down specific, measureable actions and give myself a deadline for accomplishing them. But I focus on small things I can do over a short period of time and I allow myself flexibility. I try to create a new habit instead of only looking for results.

Often if we skip a workout, stay up another hour or have another cigarette when we’re trying to quit, we feel like all hope is lost. That’s it. I’m a total failure.

I’ve found that instead of feeling guilty about each slip up, it might just be time to change the goal or habit.

Continue reading “I Don’t Believe in New Year’s Resolutions”