Resolving Resolutions

“My goal in 2023 is to accomplish the goals I set in 2022, which I should have done in 2021, because I promised to do it in 2020”.

Relatable? At the start of every new year, millions of people around the world pledge to change some aspect of their lives. A common perception is that New Year’s resolutions are difficult to maintain over longer periods of time (Hochli et al, 2019). Unfortunately, most of the new year’s resolutions fail within the first three months (Martin et al, 2017). But haven’t we all come across situations where our new year’s resolutions get carried forward in the following years leaving us with the same resolutions for years together!? Did you ever wonder why that happens? When we are all charged up to by the end of December to do this and try that, what exactly do we not consider while setting new year’s resolutions? Based on research, here’s a list of some most common resolutions (Oscarsson, 2020).

• “I will exercise/gym/yoga every day.”
• “I’ll be on a strict diet for reducing my weight.”
• “I will spend less in the next year.”
• “I will quit smoking/drinking from the 1^st of Jan.”
• “I will read more books.”

Below are a few reasons why resolutions like these often don’t work out as expected. You can also use this list to check what your current resolutions look like:

• They are too vague, not SMART.
• They aren’t framed positively.
• They aren’t approach-oriented, but avoidance-oriented.
• You are not fully committed.
• You are treating a marathon like a sprint.
• You don’t track your progress.
•  You know your ‘what’, but not your ‘why’ or ‘how.’
• You are taking on too many things.

So, what can you do to make your resolutions work?

• Identifying the purpose for your resolution
  • Why have you set a particular resolution? Why is it the right one for you? What do you look forward to achieving through this resolution?

This is a very crucial step for giving you clarity and resolve in your resolutions. Research suggests that those with a clearer sense of purpose put in more efforts to achieve their resolutions (Anderson, 2019).

Here! You might find this template useful.

“I will read ­­_______ (book name), by _______ (author), _____ pages a day because/for _________ (reasons: fun, enhancing skillset, increasing knowledge, etc.)”

• Focusing on one thing and getting it done
  • In our fervor of the new year, we tend to be ambitious and take on too many things without a reality check. But as we get busy with our routine, our resolutions go overlooked and are left uncompleted. This culminates in us experiencing regret which further transforms int self-pity. In an attempt to relieve that guilt, we end up blaming factors like work and life for our failing resolutions. Like its said, ‘Slow and steady wins the race’, we need to start working on our resolutions one step at a time. You can try to complete one resolution and then move onto the other instead of taking it up all at once. Take on one thing for the first quarter, do it and then go to the next.

• Creating resolutions as specific and realistic as possible + Breaking down the steps to treat it like a marathon instead of a sprint
  • Instead of saying “I’ll exercise everyday”; we can make it more specific and realistic by saying “I will start by exercising once a week for the first two months and increase it to four times a week incrementally.” SMART technique of goal setting will help you set achievable resolutions.

• Showing up instead of procrastination
  • Remember Zig Ziglar’s quote? “You don’t have to be great to start, you have to start to be great”. The beginning is always the hardest. In case you miss the Day 1 of your planned resolution, try not to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow”. Start working on your planned resolution even if it is for 5 minutes. Practice that every day and you will definitely see an incremental effect.

• Framing resolutions positively
  • Framing negative statements positively leads to an increase in self-esteem and creates an optimistic mindset (Philpot et al, 2016). Instead of using words like ‘quit’ or ‘will not’, let’s see how to use more positive statements.

“I will quit smoking/drinking” could be rephrased as “I will detox my body”.  

Try to convert this to a positive statement: “I will limit my intake of sweets.”

                        (Hint: manage, check, regulate)

• Writing approach-oriented resolutions
  • Research shows that you are more likely to stick to your resolutions if they are worded in an approach-oriented style (Oscarsson, 2020). To put it simply, approach-oriented resolutions are a promise of something that you will do. For example, “I will work out every day” is an approach-oriented resolution.

• Tracking your progress and following up + owning up to success and failure in the same
  • At the end, it is important to keep a track of what direction you are headed in as it provides tangible evidence of your ongoing success. Tracking with the help of an app or notes also helps in being accountable.

Pro tip! Don’t forget to reward yourself for achieving your resolutions!

We hope that you are motivated to achieve your resolutions this year. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and a fresh start with renewed energy and confidence throughout the new year. Cheers! 😀