I've
been thinking about New Year's resolutions for awhile because it's that time of
year and because I'm talking about them on GMA this week. All the major networks
have had segments on them and I've really not seen or heard anything about the
subject that surprised me. The main gist seems to be that of those who make
them, a very small percentage are successful in keeping them. I read somewhere
on the net that 88% fail to keep those heartfelt commitments made with such
fervor on December 31, when many are still feeling stuffed and bloated from too
many holiday goodies, fatigued from many extra responsibilities and activities,
and perhaps, from sipping too many adult libations. We feel guilty!!
Really
making a resolution from a place of guilt is not a solid place from which to
start! Why? Well, because guilt can promote unrealistic goals that are too
daunting to reach. If you say "I'm never drinking alcohol again" that
is likely doomed to fail (especially if you are proclaiming this while
you have a headache-hangover) because it's got the "never" word in it
and is not well-thought out. It's almost a desperate pronouncement, a plea to
the gods in atonement for your sin of over-enjoying alcoholic beverages. A
resolution much more likely to stick would sound more like this "I'm going
to limit myself to only two drinks when reveling so I won't have to feel this
lousy again." Better and more do-able!
I
read somewhere that resolutions actually have some religious history, an
atonement kind of activity meant to please the gods and to make us better
people. Even the ancient Babylonians practiced some form of making resolutions
at the beginning of the new year. I wonder how they fared?
One
article I read said that men succeed at about a 10% higher rate than women.
They make more measurable goals apparently than women do. A man might say
"I am going to lose 10lbs" while a woman might say "I'm fat and
I'm never eating chocolate again and I"m going to lose a ton of
weight"
Another
study said it helps to elicit help from you friends in keeping your
resolutions. Tell your best friend that you want to lose 10 lbs so she won't
offer you dessert when you go out to lunch. I have known some successful
former-smokers who told everyone that they had quit smoking so they
wouldn't slip-up without facing public derision.
Whatever
you decide to do during these first few days of January, think about what you
want to change about yourself or your life, what improvements you'd like to
experience in yourself and your life, and then commit to something very
reasonable toward those goals. Set yourself up to win in this age old practice
of starting the new year off on a positive note.Good luck and Spring will come
again. Me? I've always thought April was the optimum month for beginning an
improvement program. Sunlight is such a motivator!
-Rebecca
Ward