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How to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

  • Writer: Aleksa Jarasunas
    Aleksa Jarasunas
  • Jan 6, 2020
  • 3 min read

Updated: Apr 27, 2020



January.


It’s finally that time of year again when we attempt to break bad habits and set goals for the new year. “I am going to study hard to get straight As this semester.” “I’m going to stop eating junk food and hit the gym.” “I will start saving money for a car.” But let’s be realistic. Do you actually achieve your goals by the end of the year? I’m guessing that the answer is no; researchers from the Statistic Brain Research Institute found that only 8% of Americans adhere to their New Year’s resolutions (1).


So how do you join this 8%? Just follow these 3 simple rules.


Set small goals

Let’s say you have spent the last year sitting on your couch and now plan to exercise 20 hours a week. Does this goal seem realistic? Chances are that you will probably abandon this regime before February even begins. We often forget that we are not machines and can’t jump from 0 to 100 in a day. Setting large, unattainable goals is one of the main reasons why most New Year’s resolutions fail. Instead, you should focus on a series of smaller goals that seem easier to achieve.


In fact, Szy-chi Huang from the Stanford Graduate School of Business validates the advantage of setting small goals in place of larger ones. In her study, 158 undergraduate students gained points by reviewing restaurants on Yelp. After assigning the participants either many small point goals or one overarching goal, Huang found that those given the small goals wrote more than those with the large goal during the initial phase of the task (2).

So instead of jumping into an intense exercise schedule, start by spending an hour at the gym every week and gradually increase the time duration. This method will lead you to the path to success.

Reward yourself


If you attempt to achieve a goal and do not see immediate results, you may lose motivation. For example, imagine that you start paying attention in class and completing your homework in the new year but see no changes in your grades. You’ll most likely feel discouraged, prompting you to turn back to old habits. Therefore, you must reward yourself to continue pursuing your objective.


Scholarly studies support this conclusion. For instance, University of Chicago researchers surveyed workers and found that immediate rewards have a stronger positive correlation with commitment to New Year’s resolutions compared to delayed rewards (3). Similarly, overweight individuals with a financial incentive to lose weight lost 14 more pounds than their relative counterparts (4).


However, these findings do not suggest that you should eat a carton of ice cream after running on the treadmill if your goal is to lose weight. You should instead find other sources of enjoyment, such as reading a book or spending time with family and friends, to avoid hindering your progress.


Write down your goals

When I was younger, my dad always instructed me to make a to-do list of what I needed to accomplish. I would always argue with him that checklists are pointless because I keep a list of responsibilities in my head. However, after researching this topic, I now realize that I was completely wrong.


In fact, a recent study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews found that those who write down their goals are 33% more likely to accomplish them compared to those who do not (5). Although some may consider this activity time-consuming, these findings demonstrate the value of writing down New Year’s resolutions to hold yourself accountable for your goals. I guess father really does know best!

 
 
 

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© 2019 By Aleksa Jarasunas

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