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It's been a week since the New Year began, so we have two questions for you: do you have any New Year's resolutions, and how are you doing with them so far? The first days of January are a great time to turn a new, challenging page. And yes (we know!), 2021 doesn't necessarily encourage planning, but when it comes to sports, healthy eating, and taking care of your mental and physical well-being - we have a lot of room to show off. Even if your New Year's resolutions have been different so far, this year (despite everything!) it's worth fighting for yourself! How to keep them and be able to high-five yourself at the end of the year?
Did you know that many resolutions are doomed to failure because… they are not good? What does that mean?
- are based on the opinion of those around you (i.e. what someone thinks you should change);
- are unrealistic;
- are poorly worded.
At this point, it is worth mentioning a study conducted by scientists from Stockholm University and Linköping University in Sweden [1] . They analyzed New Year's resolutions made by 1,066 participants of the experiment. The most popular resolutions concerned physical health, weight loss, and changing eating habits. After a year of observation, 55% of respondents confirmed that they had managed to keep their resolutions. Interestingly, participants with goal-oriented resolutions ("I will run more") were much more successful than those whose goals were avoidance-oriented ("I will not eat sweets") [2] .
In a press release, lead study author Per Carlbring, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, said: “We were surprised by the results regarding New Year’s resolutions. For example, if your goal is to stop eating sweets (to lose weight), you’re likely to be more successful if, instead of a ban, you say to yourself, ‘I will eat fruit several times a day.’”
How else can you help yourself achieve your New Year's resolutions? Make them:
- specific (e.g. “I will run 3 times a week”);
- measurable (can be recorded, e.g. in the form of silhouette photos);
- achievable (so that they do not exceed your capabilities and therefore do not cause frustration);
- time limited.
So, Dear Ones! You already know what to do, right? We wish you good luck and keep our fingers crossed for you in the new year 2021!
[1] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0234097
[2] 58.9% vs. 47.1%
