New Year’s resolutions: Setting yourself up for success
As we approach the end of 2023 many of us will start to consider setting New Year’s resolutions. Over the years I have wavered between thinking of New Year’s resolutions as a good opportunity for change, and thinking of them as a waste of time and energy because nobody sticks to them anyway. There’s probably some truth to both of these perspectives.
In 2014, research by Hengchen Dai, Katy Milkman and Jason Riis identified what is referred to as the ‘fresh start effect’. Milkman and her colleagues suggest that people don’t think of their lives as one long continuous line, but rather as a series of chapters in a book. Temporal landmarks, such as birthdays, New Year’s Day, or even Mondays can create the opportunity for a fresh start and at these times people are more likely to take action to pursue their goals. With this new beginning, we are more likely to move beyond our previous failures attributing them to a past version of ourselves, and to feel that this time we will be successful, approaching our goals with optimism and renewed energy. Yes, there is a reason that you want to start a diet on a Monday!
So, if we accept that New Year’s might be a good opportunity for change, we all know people (or are people) who year after year fail to stick to their resolutions. While it is difficult to find accurate figures, psychologist Richard Wiseman reports that only 12% of people are successful in achieving their new year’s resolutions, and a 2021 study including UK and Australian participants reported that 64% of people give up on their resolutions by the end of January.
While this isn’t very encouraging, there’s one other important point to consider. According to John Norcross and his colleagues, people who make New Year’s resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t. This isn’t because of some magical property associated with the first of January, but it is the result of our first point – in accordance with the fresh start effect people are more likely to take action to pursue their goals.
Knowing all of this I am of the opinion that there are many factors that will influence whether New Year’s resolutions are right for any individual. People’s personality, beliefs, individual circumstances, their current level of mental health, these can all contribute to whether now is the right time to embark on a new commitment. But for those for whom it is the right time, here are five strategies to give yourself a better chance of success.
Make SMART resolutions
A resolution is a form of goal. So, consistent with how we set goals in the workplace, ensure your goals are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound. Vague goals will lead to vague results, so be very clear about what you are resolving to do, and identify how you will know whether you have achieved success. For example, a resolution to drink more water, could be more effective if expressed as resolving to drink a minimum of 1.5L of water each day.
Do one (small) thing
It can be particularly tempting to want to change everything. As someone who struggles with perfectionism, this is one I’m particularly guilty of and admit to thinking that “I’m the sort of person who is all or nothing” and deluding myself that I am the exception to the rule. But the reality is change is hard, so you are more likely to be successful if you choose one thing to change. This very much ties into the ‘achievable’ and ‘realistic’ part of our SMART resolutions. Be honest with yourself about what you can achieve. Identify one small behaviour that you are certain you can change. Once you have succeeded at that, you can then add another small behaviour building on your history of success.
Frame resolutions positively
A 2020 study by Oscarsson and colleagues confirmed that positively framing resolutions in terms of behaviours that you want to do (approach goals) are more successful than resolutions to avoid something. This makes sense when you consider that what you focus on is what you reinforce. If I resolve to include at least one vegetable in all my main meals, I focus on vegetables and that encourages me to adhere to my resolution. If I resolve to not eat chocolate, I focus on chocolate, which draws my attention to chocolate at times when I may otherwise not have been considering it.
Seek support and accountability
Take a look around you and see what sources of support and accountability you have available to you. Sharing your resolutions with a partner, trusted friend or a coach makes you more likely to adhere to your resolutions. In part this is because of our fear of social judgement if we fail, but more positively, these people want to see you succeed and can offer encouragement and assistance at times when your resolve might be wavering.
Don’t give up.
This is really the crux of resolution success, perseverance. Resolutions are about learning new behaviours, re-wiring our brain to behave consistently in a way that is different from what we have done in the past. This process takes time, and there will be times when we slip up, and revert to our old behaviours. When this happens we can label this as failure, beat ourselves up and give up altogether, or we can be kind to ourselves, recognise that everyone slips up, and choose to continue pursuing our resolution. If we can step back and see the bigger picture, we can recognise that doing something for 90% (or even 50%) of the year, with occasional missteps, is better than giving up altogether by the 22nd of January.
Whether or not you decide to make New Year’s resolutions the above points are relevant at any time you choose to make behavioural changes. But in 2024 the 1st of January occurs on a Monday, so for some people this may be just the temporal landmark they need to start a new chapter.
Dai H, Milkman KL, Riis J. (2014) The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior. Management Science, 60(10), 2563-2582. doi:10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901
Dickson JM, Moberly NJ, Preece D, Dodd A, Huntley CD. (2021) Self-Regulatory Goal Motivational Processes in Sustained New Year Resolution Pursuit and Mental Wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 3084. doi:10.3390/ijerph18063084
Norcross J, Mrykalo M, & Blagys M. (2002). Auld Lang Syne: Success Predictors, Change Processes, and Self-Reported Outcomes of New Year's Resolvers and Nonresolvers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 397-405. doi:10.1002/jclp.1151.
Oscarsson M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Rozental A. (2020) A large-scale experiment on New Year's resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLoS One, 15(12), e0234097. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0234097.
Wiseman R. New Year’s resolution project. Retrieved from: www.richardwiseman.com/quirkology/new/USA/Experiment_resolution.shtml