Does anyone actually keep their New Year’s resolutions?

Anyone who has ever made and broken a New Year’s Resolution can appreciate the difficulty of behaviour change. Making a lasting change in behaviour is rarely a simple process, and usually involves a substantial commitment of time, effort and emotion.

Does anyone actually keep their New Year’s resolutions? Approximately 100 million Americans venture down a well-travelled path paved with bold and sometimes hastily conceived New Year’s resolutions (Marlatt & Miller, 1998). It is a route covered with promises to exercise more, lose weight, stop smoking, cut down on alcohol, eat a healthier diet and meet new people. While goal setting is a powerful technique that can be practised year round, it is obviously around the New Years date that many people think most about what they want to change or accomplish. The end of the year brings about a time for reflections and assessment of personal progress that has occurred during the past year. The coming of a new year is seen as a fresh start and a time for deciding what needs to be changed and where to go next. It is for these reasons that so many people make New Year’s resolutions to accomplish things such as: to exercise more, quit smoking, pay off debt, save more money, complete projects, make more money, get organized, further education, lose weight, etc.  The word ‘resolution’ comes from the word ‘resolve’ which is “to make up one’s mind or decide firmly”, but simply making a decision to change isn’t enough to keep one motivated for long.

Whether you want to lose weight, stop smoking, or accomplish another goal, there is no single solution that works for everyone. You may have to try several different techniques, often through a process of trial-and-error, in order to achieve your goal. It is during this period that many people become discouraged and give up on their behaviour change goals. The key to maintaining your goals is to try new techniques and find ways to stay motivated. Understanding the elements of change, the stages of change, and ways to work through each stage can help you achieve your goals.

Here are the top 10 Mistakes People Make When Attempting Behavioural Change.

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