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When the big ball drops on Dec. 31, nearly half of all Americans will make at least one New Year’s resolution. At the top of the list for many will be a commitment to save more money, lose a few extra pounds, start exercising more, or quit smoking. Others will resolve to give up chocolates, watch less television, reconnect with family or kick a bad habit.
While people do make life changes throughout the year, the symbolic act of turning over a new page of the calendar seems to ignite the passion for change in us all.
“We love starting from scratch,” said Mardie Howe Rossi, a Victor-based licensed mental health counselor. “We started over every fall when we went back to school, and the New Year is another programmed time to do it. It’s been a tradition for hundreds and hundreds of years.”
But anyone who’s made a New Year’s resolution in the past — and failed — knows how difficult they can be to keep. A few adjustments to your goal-setting strategies could help your 2011 resolutions stick.
Behavior-related resolutions
“Decide what you want your outcome to be,” urges Rossi, “then make small behavioral changes that will lead you to that goal.”
While many will resolve to find a better job or make more money, licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Jonathan Fader, said those are not resolutions that are achievable.
He recommends choosing behavior-related goals that we can control For employment-related resolutions, that means identifying behaviors, like using automated online job searches or applying to a certain number of jobs each day, that are within our ability to achieve.
For people looking to lose weight, Fader recommends behavior-related goals like increased activity or healthier eating in lieu of losing a specified amount of weight.
Do it now
While the world is buzzing with excitement about what lies ahead and people are talking about what they’ll change or what resolutions they’ll make, this is the time to take advantage of that momentum.
“There’s a cultural norm that this is the time of year for making changes,” said Fader.
Discuss your plans with family and friends at holiday gatherings and ride the “resolution wave.” It’s a great way to get, and stay, motivated, he said.
Realistic goals
To increase the success rate of your resolutions, focus on realistic, incremental goals that are within your reach.
“People set huge goals when they’re feeling really motivated,” said Fader, who recommends cutting your goal in half before committing to it.
When the big ball drops on Dec. 31, nearly half of all Americans will make at least one New Year’s resolution. At the top of the list for many will be a commitment to save more money, lose a few extra pounds, start exercising more, or quit smoking. Others will resolve to give up chocolates, watch less television, reconnect with family or kick a bad habit.
While people do make life changes throughout the year, the symbolic act of turning over a new page of the calendar seems to ignite the passion for change in us all.
“We love starting from scratch,” said Mardie Howe Rossi, a Victor-based licensed mental health counselor. “We started over every fall when we went back to school, and the New Year is another programmed time to do it. It’s been a tradition for hundreds and hundreds of years.”
But anyone who’s made a New Year’s resolution in the past — and failed — knows how difficult they can be to keep. A few adjustments to your goal-setting strategies could help your 2011 resolutions stick.
Behavior-related resolutions
“Decide what you want your outcome to be,” urges Rossi, “then make small behavioral changes that will lead you to that goal.”
While many will resolve to find a better job or make more money, licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Jonathan Fader, said those are not resolutions that are achievable.
He recommends choosing behavior-related goals that we can control For employment-related resolutions, that means identifying behaviors, like using automated online job searches or applying to a certain number of jobs each day, that are within our ability to achieve.
For people looking to lose weight, Fader recommends behavior-related goals like increased activity or healthier eating in lieu of losing a specified amount of weight.
Do it now
While the world is buzzing with excitement about what lies ahead and people are talking about what they’ll change or what resolutions they’ll make, this is the time to take advantage of that momentum.
“There’s a cultural norm that this is the time of year for making changes,” said Fader.
Discuss your plans with family and friends at holiday gatherings and ride the “resolution wave.” It’s a great way to get, and stay, motivated, he said.
Realistic goals
To increase the success rate of your resolutions, focus on realistic, incremental goals that are within your reach.
“People set huge goals when they’re feeling really motivated,” said Fader, who recommends cutting your goal in half before committing to it.
“The best-case scenario,” he said, “is that you’ll surpass your goal and feel better about yourself.”
Mardie Howe Rossi believes the way we think about resolutions is part of the problem, calling it ‘black and white thinking.’
“We set such high expectations,” she said, “that if we don’t perform to that extreme degree, then we quit. We say, ‘I’m going to diet like crazy or exercise like crazy’ and it’s too much. It’s a huge, big change, when what we need to do is take little steps.”
Charge your battery
Evaluate the reasons you have for setting specific goals, and really think about those motivations.
“A motivator is really a battery for your goal,” Fader said. “The better the battery, the better your success rate.”
The more specific and relevant the reasons are to you, the more likely you are to succeed in making your resolution your reality.
Do it all year long
“Resolutions are not something that we make once a year,” reminds Gail Ferraioli, founder of Clarity Mediations in Fairport. “It helps to have a daily affirmation of our intent of how we want to be with other people as well as with ourselves. Daily practices might include mindfulness, meditation, prayer, or making a mental or written list.”
With these guidelines and a few well chosen resolutions, you might just be one step closer to a new you in the New Year.
Molly Logan Anderson contributed to this story
