Don’t find yourself disappointed in December

Posted 15 months ago by Sarah Glover 4 Minute(s) to read

 

A new year is a blank slate, packed with possibilities. And faced with such a slate, we tend to start filling it up with good intentions—or even resolutions—that will make it better than the last.

59% of young adults 18-34 have New Year’s resolutions, with numbers reducing slightly for older generations and increasing for younger ones. A successful resolution, adhered to consistently, can create momentum that will change your health, habits, work, and life. However, repeatedly making promises to yourself and breaking them can be discouraging and harmful to your mental state.

Here’s why your goals for the new year might be failing, and how you can improve your stickability the next time around.

 

The anatomy of resolutions

What were your resolutions focused on this year? This survey conducted by Forbes Health/One Poll in the USA found that the most common categories were:

• Improved mental health (45%)
• Improved fitness (39%)
• Lose weight (37%)
• Improved diet (33%)
• Improved finances (30%)

These are the bread and butter of resolutions, and each category will have myriad specific goals within it. Stopping smoking or picking up new hobbies are often on the list.

And that same survey had some insight into the success of these resolutions. It showed that 55% of resolution-makers did not last a year; within that, 11% lasted six months, 14% three to six months, 19% one to three months, and 11% lasting less than a month. This study from the UK also found that “people are not particularly good at sticking with their New Year resolutions”, and any research in addition to personal experience will direct people to the same conclusion.

 

Why might they fail?

There are many reasons. Top of the list are some simple but impactful ones: people are thinking too big and setting unrealistic goals. They may not have a clear motivation for their goal, or a clear measure of what success would look like. Often, they are simply not ready to change.

This large-scale experiment also had some insight into why some resolutions fail. It concluded that “Participants with approach-oriented goals were significantly more successful than those with avoidance-oriented goals (58.9% vs. 47.1%).” Additionally, “the group that received some support was exclusively and significantly more successful compared to the other two.” Resolution failures, then, could be attributable to avoidance-oriented goals (trying to avoid a result rather than achieve one) or to a lack of support.

 

The foibles of failure

It’s a common mindset mantra that failure is how you learn lessons. “Try again. Fail again. Fail better,” is the famous quote by Samuel Beckett—and it’s not wrong, but when it comes to personal resolutions, continual failure and no progress can bring someone down. Breaking promises to yourself year after year could leave you despondent, dissatisfied, and disappointed.

This article from Psychology Today points out some of the foibles that come along with failure. Here are some of the most relevant to New Year resolutions:

• It can make the same goal seem less attainable; in one study, people kicked an American football over goalposts, then estimated the height and proximity of the posts. Those who missed the goal estimated it to be higher and further away than those who attained it.
• It distorts your perception of your own abilities. If you fail to achieve a goal, it will seem further out of reach than it did originally.
• A single experience of failure can heighten your “fear of failure”, increasing motivation to avoid future failure rather than chase success. This fear often leads to unconscious self-sabotaging.

 

So how can I see my resolutions through?

All of the statistics and studies aside, the most important information is this: how you can set yourself up for success! Here are some pointers to help you keep this year’s resolutions.

1. In the large-scale experiment mentioned earlier, it was found that approach-oriented goals are more likely to succeed than avoidance-oriented goals. Try to set goals in an attempt to attain a positive result, rather than avoid a negative one.
2. Seek support! The same experiment also found that support increased chances of success—so find a partner to achieve the same goal with you or ask friends or family members for support and accountability.
3. Use the SMART goal-setting framework to set goals that are more likely to succeed. Your goals should be: 
   1. SPECIFIC. A well-defined goal that can be broken down into chunks. 
   2. MEASURABLE. Preferably with milestones you can tick off along the way.
   3. ACHIEVABLE. Something that you can attain within the timeframe.
   4. REALISTIC/RELEVANT. Is it something that will work within your actual lifestyle?
   5. TIMELY. Create a time frame and “check-ins” to ensure you are progressing as you should be.

 

Wishing you a happy and successful new year! And if you have business-related goals as well as personal ones, take a look at the range of services Emendas offers to give Kiwi businesses a helping hand in the areas of compliance, HR, and health and safety.