This is the worst good resolution you can have, according to research
Yeah, I also want to lose a few kilos again this year and feel more comfortable in my jeans. And yes, I also want to eat more vegetables this year and take better care of myself. But this kind of New Year's resolutions are total nonsense, research shows.
Because, pay attention. Research by Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal shows that 92 percent of New Year's resolutions fail within a month. And usually, these are resolutions like: I want to lose weight and live healthier, and oh yes, also exercise more.
We can only keep it up for a few weeks at most. What a shame. One of the reasons for this failure is that people are often too optimistic when setting their goals and do not adjust them to their daily reality. According to decision science professor José Kerstholt, it is difficult to change ingrained patterns and learn new behaviors, especially when these goals are set during a period like New Year's, when one is not in the daily routine. So you first need to think about how you will apply this in your daily life. Otherwise, you will have forgotten it by mid-January.
What works much better is what I myself have done for four years: research step by step. Do it mini small. First, just do one squat while brushing your teeth and keep that up every evening. You can command yourself to go to the gym three times a week, but the chance is small that you will actually go. Or you go for two weeks and then forget it again in all the busyness. Keep your resolutions much smaller, then the chance is greater that you will stick to it and that you can gradually add more. Break your big goal down into small mini-goals. Doing something small very often is actually worth a lot. More than never doing something big at all.
So don't forget: the worst New Year's resolution is one that is too ambitious, vague, or negatively formulated, without taking personal circumstances into account and without a concrete action plan. It is more effective to set realistic, specific, and positively formulated goals, with a clear action plan and the flexibility to learn from any setbacks. You can also honestly not feel like it sometimes. But pick something up with passion and go for it, always. Failing is allowed, a bad week or month is allowed too. That does not determine who you are. But focus more on all those very small steps, whatever you want to achieve. Losing some kilos, feeling fitter by exercising, eating healthier, or finally starting that own business: do 1% of your big goal every day and by the end of 2025, you will be further than you ever dared to dream.
Image: Netflix
