Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? Did you stick with it so far? Forty-five percent of you did and 75 percent of you stuck with it this week. However, that number will drop to 8 percent by the end of the month.
Forty-five percent of Americans made a resolution a week ago in hopes that they can better themselves in some way. However, about five years ago, I decided that New Year’s resolutions were more of a detriment to success than a catalyst for it.
It’s no coincidence that only 8 percent of people who make resolutions find success and I think that the biggest reason for that is the name “New Year’s resolution.” It has a connotation of being a change that people uphold for January and maybe February, if you're lucky. It’s weird to hear someone say in July that they’re on a diet because of his or her New Year’s resolution. It’s not weird to hear people say that they’re on a diet in September to simply lose weight.
Seventy-five percent of resolution-setters maintain their resolution in the first week of January and that’s great! Why does that number drop sharply to 8 percent when evaluating the long-term success of the change that they wanted to see, though? Again, it’s because we call it a New Year’s resolution. Sure, it’s awesome — and not super difficult — to go to the gym every day of the first week in January. However, school and work and life get in the way eventually. So people give up their New Year’s resolutions completely or try something else. Maybe they’ll change it to “I want to be healthier” instead and that’s another problem.
A lot of resolutions that people set are not S.M.A.R.T., an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Instead of a broad resolution to “lose weight,” a goal of “I will go to the gym three times a week” is better. It is more specific, measurable, attainable and realistic. Its timeliness depends on how quickly you want to see results.
That brings me to another topic: why do we have to wait until Jan. 1 to start a change? Why can’t we start in December when we think of a resolution or in the summer if that’s better? I feel like a lot of people will come up with a New Year’s resolution in early December, but push it off until January, losing a whole month of progress. For those people who set resolutions of “trying to be nicer or trying to see my family more often,” why can’t that you decide that goal one random October morning and stick with it?
Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t make New Year’s resolutions at all. It’s just that Jan. 1 doesn’t have to be the only time of the year to make a lifestyle change, and you may even find more success trying it at a different time.
If you still haven’t thought of something that you want to improve in your life, it isn’t too late to start! If you didn’t start a week ago, why can’t you start right now? The top resolutions for 2015 included: lose weight, get organized, spend less and save more, enjoy life to the fullest, stay fit and healthy, learn something exciting, quit smoking, help others, fall in love and spend more time with family.
Remember that you can make a lifestyle change beginning on any day of the year!
