Happy New Year! Now that my college applications have been sent, time to set some goals for the coming year and what most folks usually call: New Year’s Resolutions.
Apparently New Year’s Resolutions have been around for a long time now, dating all the way to the ancient Babylonians who celebrated the start of the new year in March when crops are planted. During this time, they made promises to the gods in hopes that they will keep these promises to keep their favor. Julius Caesar changed the calendar to start the year on January 1, to what we now know as the new year.
Resolutions are powerful, and they can be traced to a phenomenon known as the “fresh start effect,” which says that there is an advantage to making promises to oneself at the start of a period (in this case, the start of the year), since this point in time gives an individual and opportunity to start fresh or wipe the slate clean. And this message is powerful. Businesses have capitalized on this opportunity, and it is no surprise that fitness center operators like Planet Fitness, advertise heavily and sponsor the ball drop on New Year’s Eve.
But how many of these new year’s resolutions actually survive throughout the year? Data suggests that a vast majority of these resolutions fail and that only 25% of people actually keep these promises after 30 days, with only 10% actually accomplishing their goals. In fact, the second Friday is typically known as the “Quitter’s Day,” which is the day when most folks decide to abandon their resolutions.
So why do most people decide to “throw in the towel?” Most resolutions fail because we neglect to turn these resolutions to habits. Research shows that 40% of what we do daily are habitual and we tend to forgo or forget resolutions because they are not part of our daily mundane lives. Most people also tend to have numerous yet very broad goals. The sheer number and the lack of specificity and measurability of these goals tend to explain why they tend to be unmanageable and overwhelming. Such overwhelming resolutions lead to quitting.
So how can we endeavor to keep these resolutions going? Kaitlin Woolley and Ayelet Fishbach from the University of Chicago suggest that rewarding oneself immediately is the key to staying on track to one’s long-term goals. By making certain tasks more fun, we tend to be able to stick to the goals even if the results seem farfetched. For instance, if the goal is to lose weight, maybe enlisting a friend or a fun workout would keep you committed to the goal of weight loss. Immediate rewards yield better results.
While immediate rewards can help, these resolutions need to turn to habits. Enter, the power of incentives. Incentives, which can translate to money or personal satisfaction, can help turn short-term resolutions to long-term habits. For instance, keeping track of progress through apps or even devices can incentivize one to stick to their resolutions. Simple tweaks like announcing goals keeps one accountable as well.
So, as the New Year commences, remember to be mindful about your goals. Whether it be providing fun incentives or rewarding yourself, turning your resolutions into habits is the best way to stay committed and make the most out of the coming year.
The Gist:
New Year’s Resolutions are so powerful because of the “fresh start effect”, which provides people with the feeling of having a clean slate
Most resolutions fail because people fail to turn their new actions or goals into habits
Incentives and rewards can help us stay committed to our resolutions and achieve our goals for the year
Image Sources:
Comments