I'm sure given the innumerable troubles of this past year many of us are thinking about making some.
If you are thinking of making resolutions this year, here are some resources about different types of resolutions, and how to increase the odds of keeping them.
Most commonly we decide to develop new self-improvement habits.
As you must know, almost all of these resolutions fail! In one widely cited study, only 19% of resolution makers succeed, and most people give up within a few weeks.
It's not necessarily the goal itself that is the problem. Instead, lack of planning and follow-through, or starting when you are not yet committed to making behavior changes are common issues. Here are links to 3 guides to effective habit formation:
- How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide by James Clear.
- The Simple Guide to Creating Habits for a Great Year by Leo Babauta
- Got a New Year’s Resolution? Here’s how to make it stick! by Charles Duhigg
Although "habit goals" are common, there are other options.
Set a theme for the year. A popular approach is to pick one word that exemplifies an attitude, value, or way of being you will focus on.
Author Gretchen Rubin suggests making a list of things you will not do.
Pledge to "just" stay in the moment as your life is happening. Matha Ringer, another of my favorite bloggers, describes this approach as:
"..go in the face of the unknown and relax into what is taking place trusting the solutions will be provided and listening for what to do next."
My own resolution fits in this last category:
Focus on the present.Go slow.Be grateful for everything that is an improvement over last year.
Happy New Year to each of you!
