Resolutions that Last

One reason that New Year’s resolutions do not last is because they sound motivating but they are hard to fit into an everyday schedule. A goal such as “work out every day” could be attainable at the start of January, but it is harder to achieve after a busy and stressful school day. This doesn't just happen because people get tired; it happens because the goals are unrealistic, overwhelming, and not matched to a person’s readiness to change. When the goal is too ambitious, people will often focus on the distance to the final result instead of taking smaller and more specific steps. Consequently, if you want your resolutions to be successful, you should make them feasible, specific, and eventually turn them into a necessary routine of your daily routine.

After the initial excitement fades, keeping up with resolutions with only motivation becomes harder. Resolutions that are vague and made without a plan are likely to fail. When people miss a few days, they might think their plan is ruined and this will lead to the end of their resolution.This tendency is common – even for adults. Marykate Colao, Spanish teacher and Director of Residential Life admitted, “Sometimes I get lazy. If I forget to do something one night, this will eventually turn into many nights. At last, the habit is broken.” Her point shows that the real obstacle isn’t missing it once, instead, it is letting discouragement turn mistakes into a pattern.

New Year’s resolutions also raise other questions. What groups of people are most likely to make resolutions? What are the most common resolution topics? According to a study made by Pew Research, the group that participated the most in making New Year’s resolutions are young adults, and the majority of resolutions focused on health, money, relationships, and areas like work. Pew also observed the trend of people failing their resolutions early in the year which highlights the challenges people are faced with in keeping to their resolutions. This brings us to the real issue: how to make resolutions that last.

An important characteristic of a lasting resolution is specificity. With specific resolutions, a person will be able to turn plans into action. For instance, the goal “go to gym” might be unspecific and overwhelming for most people. By changing it to “working out twice a week,” you will get a realistic and precise resolution to start with. Colao pointed out, “I think smaller and precise resolutions are better because they are achievable. In the past, when I’ve had vague resolutions such as to be ‘healthier’ or to ‘exercise’, they didn’t work because they were too vague.” This suggests that a resolution works best when it is measurable, when you can check your progress.

To conclude, a resolution isn’t assessed on how big it sounds on January 1st, but on how long you are able to stick with it. For resolutions that are clear, realistic, and simple, it is likely for them to succeed. Lastly, when you consistently practice a habit, it will eventually stop feeling like a daily challenge and become who you are!