As we celebrated the New Year, we began to think about what our New Year's Resolution will be. Everyone usually comes up with an idea, but how many people are able to achieve their resolution? In the article "Solutions to Resolution Dilution," Sadie Dingfelder explores resolutions and ways in which we can stay true to them.
If you had to guess, what do you think that the top three resolutions are? According to the article, the goals to "lose weight, quit smoking and exercise regularly" are the top resolutions every year. All of these goals require people to change their behavior, so behavior psychologists use New Year's Resolutions as a way to study habits that help to change peoples behavior. The success of achieving your resolution does not depend on your goal, but instead on the actions you take.
In the article, psychology professor John Norcross shares the ways in which to have most success with your resolution. Some ways to be successful include "stimulus control--for example, avoiding a smoky bar after resolving to quit smoking--and reinforcement, or behaviorally contingent rewards," planning ahead of time, and avoid high-risk situations. Norcross also stated that self-efficiency, " the belief that one can effect and maintain change" and the willingness to accept change helps to predict whether or not you will be able to complete your goal.
These behavior changing techniques are part of the transtheoretical model (TTM) of behavior change. I thought it was interesting how the behavior changing model used in clinical programs is also very applicable to self-initiated change. As I begin to work on my New Year's resolution, I am going to try to use some of the tactics mentioned in this article in order to achieve my goal. Norcross' research has concluded that "nearly 60 percent of people will drop their resolutions by the six-month mark, perhaps due to the persistence of old habits as well as reversion to earlier stages of behavior change."
In the article, psychology professor John Norcross shares the ways in which to have most success with your resolution. Some ways to be successful include "stimulus control--for example, avoiding a smoky bar after resolving to quit smoking--and reinforcement, or behaviorally contingent rewards," planning ahead of time, and avoid high-risk situations. Norcross also stated that self-efficiency, " the belief that one can effect and maintain change" and the willingness to accept change helps to predict whether or not you will be able to complete your goal.
These behavior changing techniques are part of the transtheoretical model (TTM) of behavior change. I thought it was interesting how the behavior changing model used in clinical programs is also very applicable to self-initiated change. As I begin to work on my New Year's resolution, I am going to try to use some of the tactics mentioned in this article in order to achieve my goal. Norcross' research has concluded that "nearly 60 percent of people will drop their resolutions by the six-month mark, perhaps due to the persistence of old habits as well as reversion to earlier stages of behavior change."
What was your resolution this year? How will you achieve your goal? Do you think the techniques that Norcross discusses would work in order to help you achieve your goal? What other techniques can you think of to help achieve your goal?
Each new year I don't really create a set resolution. I just work on being a better me and making it a memorable year. This goal is very broad and general and doesn't take much will power. But things like losing weight or quitting smoking can be more difficult. Norcross is correct in saying we must set a goal that is achievable. Also, I find his techniques like not going to a smoky bar when trying to quit smoking is helpful. Even people trying to lost weight shouldn't tempt themselves by going to a bakery, or whatever the case may be.
ReplyDeleteI think its important to find just one main resolution for each year and not pile on multiple resolutions that could just stress you out. Also, I find that people will work harder at their resolution if they are supported and constantly reminded to reach success. Like Norcross explained in his research that most people end their resolution because they lose interest and go in reverse. So its important to focus on the future and the good things that could happen from achieving whatever it may be.
New Year's resolutions happen to be somewhat of a myth, in my opinion. Every year, right around January 1, the gym gets packed with people trying to lose weight or get in shape for the new year. That usually lasts for a few weeks before it returns to the normal, dedicated gym crowd. So many people show up at the gym expecting to lose 20 lbs. after one week of working out - they set unattainable, impractical goals for themselves. After not achieving their desired six-pack after a week of working out, people become discouraged and give up. Also, along the lines of what Jackie was saying, it would not be ideal for someone trying to lose weight to work in a fast food restaurant, a bakery, etc. As the saying goes, "old habits die hard," it is important for people to realize that it's going to take a lot of time, dedication, and patience to change their old habits. It's much harder to follow through with a resolution that requires you to break an old habit, rather than a resolution that requires you to form new habits. Breaking an old habit requires time and patience - two things that most people do not have. They have to eat healthier, exercise daily, and keep the weight off once they lose it. They must be persistent if they ever want to achieve their New Year's resolution.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kasey - I don't agree with the whole marketing that comes around every New Year. People are impatient, and I think especially in Western cultures, we expect instant gratification - that just 2 weeks of hard work (in this case, exercise) equals a lifetime of healthy living, when that simply isn't true. I also don't agree that you have to wait for every January 1 to make a change in your life: we should constantly be wanting to better ourselves, and I think our motivations should stem from a personal desire to be happier, not a date on the calendar. However, I do like the ideas described in the article; they will definitely help people stick to their goals longer.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm not a total fan of the resolution fad, I decided I wanted to challenge myself by both breaking old habits and starting new ones: First, I decided to give up French fries for the entire year (one of my favorite foods), mostly to prove to myself that I can complete anything I put my mind to. As for a good habit, I've decided to list 3 things that I'm grateful for every night, as a constant reminder of what's really important in life. Hopefully, with these "resolutions", I can make myself feel both happier & accomplished once 2014 rolls around.
I also agree with what Jess says about instant gratification when it comes to resolutions. We set our expectations too high and then burn out when we don't immediately see results. I also don't really make New Year's resolutions because I feel like most of the time they set you up for failure. In fact, I usually don't even go to the gym for at least a month after New Years because of the "Resolutioners" crowding the equipment. Instead, I just exercise at home.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't really make resolutions, I think what Norcross has to say is helpful. I just think that people should start to use these techniques outside of New Years because any time of the year is a good time to turn yourself around and break those bad habits.
I definitely agree with Jess that our societal mindset of instant gratification directly influences our inability to maintain New Year’s Resolutions. However, it isn’t impossible to overcome this mindset and actually stick to achieving an aspired goal. As affirmed by an article published in Psychology Today by Meg Selig, self-control and mere will-power is crucial in order to change one habit and start forming a new one. For example, if your new year’s resolution was to simply exercise more often, you may find yourself making excuses not to go to the gym on a regular basis. However, intrinsic motivation, sheer will-power to exercise, has the power to trump any lull in results that you may experience. The constant repetition that comes with changing a habit then feeds to personal self-esteem and further motivates both body and mind as results become evident. Although monotonous at first, the unconditional repetition of a habit motivated by strong willpower is a sure-fire way to achieve your New Year’s resolution; and change it from fad to norm.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/changepower/201205/do-you-need-self-esteem-change-habit
After reading this post and the comments, I immediately thought of the old adage that a habit can either be made or broken in three weeks. While the idea that it only takes three weeks for baits to form or break is false, it is true that habits happen with repetition because neural pathways in the brain are formed. These neural pathways are very hard to "close" because they are ingrained in the brain, which is why old habits "die hard" as explained in an article from MIT News. This relates to what the post says because oftentimes people are trying break old bad habits in their New Year's Resolutions and like Jess said people are expectant of instant gratification thus making them less likely to continue creating neural pathways for good habits and keep reusing the ones for bad habits.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have decided to stop making New Year's Resolutions besides trying to do my work early- and so far I've done well, but it's only a week into the new year and I realize that it will be a long term process that I have to put effort into. I think that the tips that Norcross gives are good, but somewhat obvious, and that's where, as Suzanne put it, the intrinsic motivation comes in- I want to avoid distractions so I can get my work done for a feeling of relief and time to myself.
Here's the MIT News article as well:
ReplyDeletehttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/habit.html
For the past couple years I have not set New Year resolutions for myself, partly due to this innate human instinct to revert back to our old habits after only a couple weeks. I think that resolutions can be effective if the person is entirely committed to making sure their goal is reached. I think that the most common goals of quitting smoking and losing weight are definitely harder to reach because it requires a change in their everyday lives. I agree with Jess that often times we fall short of of resolutions because the result does not come quick enough and we eventually lose interest. It is clear that a person making an unnatural change in their life must have a strong intrinsic motivation to achieve their resolution, otherwise as soon as the reward stops so will the behavior. I definitely think that avoiding the temptation by purposely avoiding smokey bars and bakeries is a good way to stay on track. I also agree with Suzanne that repetition is key to quitting old habits, and eventually something that once seemed so foreign becomes something you do automatically.
ReplyDeleteMaking and breaking resolutions seems to be a recurring theme year after year for more people than it seems. Each year, it seems like the goals Marisa mentioned are set- losing weight, exercising, or ending a bad habit. According to Behavorists, it is definitely possible for people to change when they want to, however I think the way many of us try to undergo these life-changing tasks is what gets us into trouble. People tend to be overconfident and set unrealistic expectations for themselves. They say "I want to lost twenty pounds by February" or "I'm going to be smoke free by March". In reality, changing such a large part of their life in such a short period of time is highly improbable to occur. When that goal is not reached, people get discouraged and stop trying to reach it altogether.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to stick to a resolution is to set mini-goals for yourself. Instead of saying you're going to lose twenty pounds by February, set your goal at maybe three pounds per week. Instead of saying you'll be completely smoke free by March, limit yourself to how many packs you buy per week and keep lowering that number until you're comfortably ready to quit. Forcing yourself to follow your resolution isn't going to be the way that works, if anything, it will discourage you from heathily reaching your goal. The best way to fulfill a New Year's resolution is to take it a day at a time.
For the past couple of years, I have not had a set New Year's Resolution. Instead, I just work on being the best version of myself and making any adjustments that entails. However, losing weight and having healthier eating habits are always focuses for my improvement. In general, I agree with this article in that tactics such as stimulus control, reinforcement, planning ahead, being self sufficient and avoiding high risk situations can help. Some of these practices, however, have given me trouble in the past. First off, I tend to take that whole "reward" thing too far. Whenever I am trying to lose weight, I convince myself that since I worked out, I deserve something such as a chocolate lava cake with ice cream. In the end, I do not move forward in achieving my goal. Secondly, avoiding high-risk situations is not always possible, therefore, you must be prepare yourself to be faced with unfavorable circumstances.. While I do not think that someone trying to quite smoking should go to a smoky bar the first day of quitting, I do believe that eventually that person will have to. Completely avoiding high risk situations might lead to a higher failure rate because the real world is uncontrollable and full of risks. Also, I have trouble with the statistic that 60% of people give up on their resolutions by the six-month mark. In my experience with New Year's Resolutions, I would expect the mark to be earlier on, like 3-4 months. Overall, I feel as if the success of your New Year's Resolution depends mostly on your intrinsic motivation and determination in achieving your goal.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, I found out that January 12th is "Keep Your Resolution Day" and that January 17th is "Ditch Your Resolution Day." I think this sheds an interesting lights on the psychology behind resolutions. Many make resolutions, especially to exercise and diet, but in the back of many minds is also the inevitable failure to keep these resolutions past mid-january. I've definitely noticed the increase of members at my gym--but the slump hasn't happened just yet.
ReplyDeleteI've always been interested why people find New Years an excuse to make a resolution. Just because it is a new year, doesn't make anything different. You could therefore argue that everyday is a new day, every minute is a new minute, all equal opportunities to begin a "new" and "improved" lifestyle that many choose to embark on once the new year comes. I personally don't make new years resolutions because they restrict self-improvement, pushing off available time for making change until a later date. Although it may work for some to adopt a new resolution, and incorporate in their lifestyle with the mindset that this year will be different, the overwhelming percentage of people that end up abandoning their resolutions by either mid-january or February point to the ineffectiveness of making a new years resolution
Like many of my classmates, I haven't made a New Year's resolution in a long time. I think I stopped making them because most of the time I gave up. In grammar school some of my teachers would have us write about our New Years resolution, and even then I tended to make one up.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the major problems with New Years resolutions is they are always to broad and to general. "Quit smoking" or "lose weight," both of those are common but by telling your self either one of those, you are not going to get anywhere. I think that New Year resolutions might be easier if they were smaller. For example, if you smoke 5 cigarettes make your resolution to smoke 4 for a month because that will make it a habit and then the next month limit yourself again. If we think in smaller, more manageable terms I think there would be more success, but a New Years revolution is always thought of as this huge promise to yourself that no one ever completes.
It might be a few days late, but I am going to think of a small revolution for me this year and see if my theory works.
My New Year's Resolution was to begin my homework as soon as I get home, so as to finish much earlier in the night. I think that the advice given in the article would definitely help me. One suggestion was stimulus control, so I would need to stay away from distracting things like the TV or the internet. Another hint was planning ahead of time. No matter what your resolution, planning should help. It is always easier to stick to an idea if you have a clear plan on how to get there. I also think that a reward system would be beneficial for making sure people stick with their resolutions. A reward for me would be a treat every night I finish my homework before 9. A reward for someone who wants to lose weight would be a cheat day for every two weeks they stick to their diet. There are many tricks that can help people maintain their resolutions. But, I think the most important thing a person can have is real dedication.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not set New Year's resolutions for myself because I believe they are simply a preparation for failure. I do not set many specific goals, other than the general desire to make the current year better than the previous. All throughout the year, I reevaluate how I go about things and attempt to reinvent periodically. I believe that a New Year's resolution puts on unnecessary pressure to have something accomplished by the end of the month of January- which is not enough time, in may cases, such as weight loss. I do feel that Norcross' idea make sense, and could possibly be very effective, however I believe that determination to reach a goal comes down to will power and having the right intrinsic mind set, not so much outside factors.
ReplyDeleteJust like many of you have mentioned, I do not make New Year's resolutions anymore. I used to make them, but about a week later I would forget that I had even made one. When you make a resolution, that is all you think about, which makes it harder to keep the resolution. For example, one time I tried to make a resolution to go on a diet, but that just made it even harder to maintain the diet. All I thought about was how I could not eat junk food, which tempted me to eat junk food even more. If I was not always thinking about junk food, I would not have had a craving for it all the time.
ReplyDeleteI loved what Cristina said about how if we make resolutions only for New Year's then we are not taking advantage of each day and just trying to be the best we can be all the time. Each day presents us with new opportunities, so we should just be the best person we can be with whatever life throws at us each day. This would enhance our every day habits, so we would never even feel the need to make resolutions.
I believe that in order to change your behavior it is very important to surround yourself with people that have the same goal. Surprisingly enough, the people that your surround yourself with effect your actions. My New Year's Resolution is to loose 5 pounds and in order to do this, I plan to eat healthier. My friends are also in this pack so we have healthy competition on who can loose weight first. I believe having your friends join can make your resolution more enjoyable. The only reason why I made this years New Year's Resolution is because of senior dance but other than that I haven't done one in a while. I believe that it is important to change gradually instead of just doing one because everyone else is.
ReplyDeleteAs many of the girls above posted, I have not made a New Year's resolution for a few years now. Even choosing a New Year's resolution can be a pain and once you choose one, it can be extremely difficult to maintain it if you are not totally focused on it every day. Therefore, as others said, I just try to be a better person than I was yesterday and just take it day by day. There is no harm in trying to make a New Year's resolution, but why wait until the New Year to decide to change your behavior? We have the opportunity to better ourselves every day. All it takes is dedication and commitment.
ReplyDeleteNew Year's resolutions can be difficult to keep, especially because the stresses in life can make us lose sight of our goals quite easily. In my opinion, it is best to just try and make the most of every day without setting a resolution and just trying to be a better person with every encounter you have. Life is so much brighter when you strive to live each day to the fullest.
I definitely agree with the "stimulus control" aspect of reaching one's New Years' resolution, since it's much harder to control yourself when the very thing you're trying to avoid is sitting right in front of you. I've tried to incorporate this method into my efforts of one of my New Year's resolutions, which is to eat healthier. My mom and I cleaned out our refrigerator and pantry to cleanse our kitchen of junk food that would only be inhibiting us from reaching our goals. I've found it to be a lot easier to eat healthy when there's only healthy options to choose from, and I hope we keep up with this stimulus control and don't do away with it just like most people do just weeks after they begin the new year.
ReplyDeleteMy new years resolution is the same every year and the same as everyone else in the world: lose weight. Not because I think I'm morbidly obese, but I want to be toned and in shape. This year was the first time I stuck with it because I used a new strategy! I joined the gym two month before new years, but kept the time limit the same as previous years. This gave me more time to adjust and settle into exercising everyday. I also made my dieting goals insanely difficult so that when I didn't accomplish them I was still eating better than I previously was. I also have the support of my mom who just joined the gym. So while I agree with the article and the importance of self-determination and avoiding fast food restaurants, I think the most important factor in accomplishing new year's resolutions is having a strong support system!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the stimulus control has a great impact on the success of committing to one's New Years resolution. Every year I have made the same resolution to eat healthier and go to the gym more frequently, but because none of my friends or family members were doing it with me, I found it hard to commit and gave up fairly quick. However, like Noelle and her mom, my mom and I also cleaned out our kitchen of unhealthy foods and have committed ourselves to only purchasing healthy items while grocery shopping. I think reinforcement is an important aspect of committing to a New Year's resolution. Because my best friend goes to the same gym as I do, she often motivates me to come along with her. This reinforces my drive and motivation to work out, and I found that after having that reinforcement has influenced me to go to the gym on my own time as well. I think planning ahead and really focusing on being committed to your New Year's resolution is also an important part in seeing successful results, and that people who want to keep their resolution should really keep in the back of their heads.
ReplyDeleteWhile I never make New Year’s resolutions, I think that they work for some people. I never make resolutions, because I find that I usually forget about them and continue my past behavior. For people who are determined to change something in their life, making a New Year’s resolution could help them accomplish their goals. I think people need to set realistic goals. If you are someone who has never been to a gym before, you might want to set your goal for exercising three times a week instead of every day. If you do things like write down your resolution to remind yourself and are motivated to achieve your goals, then I do think that New Year’s resolutions can work.
ReplyDeleteFor the last several years I have not made a New Year's resolution simply because, as many people have stated, they are sometimes unrealistic to stick to and it is easy to fall back into your old behavior. Although starting the year off fresh is a motivating thought, changing bad behaviors for good should be something that is done slowly and gradually. Setting too many goals to achieve in the New Year can be unrealistic because instead of focusing on truly changing one or two things in your life, you end up trying to achieve too much at once, and eventually all of the goals fall through. Similar to what Julia said, this year I wanted to resolve to exercise more regularly. Instead of waiting until January 1st to start this goal, I started getting in the habit of it a couple weeks earlier. By doing this, I was giving myself a head start on my new routine so that way this new behavior wouldn't fade so easily during the first few weeks of the New Year, and so far it's worked! Stimulus control is definitely another important factor, and it's helpful to surround yourself with people and things that help you achieve your goals without falling back into your old ways.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the article’s point of "stimulus control” when trying to break a bad habit. It just doesn't make sense to say “I’m going on a diet” and then go to Wendy’s the next day for lunch hoping to eat healthy. In order to break a habit you have to make distinct changes in your lifestyle. It has been said that it takes thirty days to break a habit, and some of us just don’t have that patience. As Jess said, we like instant gratification. One must be truly dedicated and have support from those around them to make a change. If you’re trying to quit smoking and you have a friend that still smokes around you, you may have to go in a different room as they smoke just to avoid temptation. I personally did not set a goal this year because from prior years I learned that I set too high of expectations around New Years. I think that it is best to set small goals throughout the year in order to be successful.
ReplyDeleteI agree that stimulus control is a really good idea for New Year's resolutions. It is definitely helpful to stay away from places and situations that stimulate you into practicing old behavior. For example, if your resolution was to drink less, you should not be hanging around a bar because it will only tempt you. Personally, I am not big on New Year's resolutions. I feel that when New Year's comes, I sometimes feel pressured into thinking up some self improvement scheme that I'm not really ready to undertake. For me, it is better to wait for a time when I am intrinsically motivated to improve an aspect of my life, rather than waiting specifically for a certain day to do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cristina that people just want an excuse to try and live a better lifestyle. We could wake up one day during the year and decide it is time to change the way we live.. it does not take a specific date to do that.
ReplyDeleteLike most people said, I have not made any New Years Resolutions in a long time. My philosophy is that if you want to make a change, just do it. You shouldn't be waiting around for New Years to come to improve your life. Rather, if you notice something you do not like a habit you have or something, start that day to improve it