Why I did (not) make a resolution this year…
How many years did you vow to make that long elusive change by the stroke of midnight just to wake up January 1st and revert right back to your old habits? Well, if you are like me, there are too many to count. It sounds depressing, doesn't it? But don't despair, perhaps the timing wasn't right. How can anyone make drastic changes right after the fun of the holidays and expect to maintain them for the rest of the year? Or perhaps the changes themselves were unrealistic. For resolutions a.k.a. GOALS to work they have to be S.M.A.R.T. that is, meet the criteria of realistic goal setting.
Close to fifty percent of people make resolutions each new year but more than 90% never make it beyond the first few weeks. Weight loss, getting organized and better financial management top the list of resolutions.
Making resolutions work involves habit breaking and behaviour modification. Here are some titles from TPL's collection that may help you shed unwanted habits and create a lasting change. Many of the titles are also available as ebooks. To put a hold on a book, just click on the title pages and follow the links.
2 thoughts on “Why I did (not) make a resolution this year…”
Those are interesting statistics. A more than 90% failure rate is rather daunting and definitely something to think about! There is one exception, though… planning and looking forward to a vacation will give you a major boost in happiness – even if you never end up going. It’s the one resolution that you can fail to stick to and still feel good about!
I’ve read The Power of Habit and it definitely helped with the more challenging resolutions that are hard to stick to… but if that doesn’t work, make next year’s resolution to travel, and then start planning a few trips. Even if they never happen, you’ll be better off for it.
Great idea Maria! Thanks for your comment. Hopefully some of your travel plans will materialize 🙂