Intention Setting: New years resolutions yes or no?

Different scholars and news outlets conclude differently on the matter.

 

The pro team suggests that New Years resolutions foster:

#1 – Intention

#2 – Hope and Engagement

#3 – Responsibility

 

According to Forbes, YES: “Strive to be in the minority of people who keep their New Year’s resolutions. But know even if you don’t keep every one, the act of making them and striving toward them will have positive effects for you and for others.”

Much of our success depends on the habits we form in order to push ourselves forward. 

 

Follow these 8 recommendations for creating New Year’s Resolutions you'll keep:

1. Make resolutions for areas of your life that you can be passionate or excited about. Develop resolutions that are based on your values.  

 

2. Create a positive resolution statement.  For example rather that I want to lose 10kg, reframe it as I’m going to eat healthier and exercise regularly.

 

3. Make your goals as specific as possible.  Some suggest making SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable and timely) goals.  

 

4. Don’t just state a goal, create a strategy or system to achieve your goal.  For example, if your goal is to eliminate financial debt.  Your strategy might include monitoring your spending, creating a budget, making your lunch, having a spending free day each week, paying an extra amount of money each month on your credit card etc.

 

5. Focus on the process of moving forward rather than the outcome.

 

6. Take small steps.

 

7. Avoid blaming or shaming yourself.  View mistakes, failures and setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth.

 

8. Remember, progress not perfection. Keep trying.

 

“Atomic habits” by James Clear, a more condensed way of how to maintain habits. 

 

His 4 rules of atomic habits:

 

The 1st law (Cue): Make it obvious.

 

The 2nd law (Craving): Make it attractive.

 

The 3rd law (Response): Make it easy.

 

The 4th law (Reward): Make it satisfying.

 

The contra team lead by Karen Vanscoy shares the opinion that New Years resolutions increase stress and have a negative impact on our well-being.

 

"Many if not most of us will fail to follow through with our New Year commitments within the first couple of weeks. We all see and know that from the gym and their statistics.

 

The con team suggests, that people believe that if they achieve their resolutions they’d be happy.  As such, people have a tendency toward focusing on the end result (not very mindful), as opposed to appreciating the process (mindfulness in the moment) as a result. This is why they create and can’t undue stress.  A lot of pressure unnecessary pressure." 

@optimalperformancezurich

 

Resources

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/12/31/4-reasons-to-make-new-years-resolutions-even-if-you-dont-keep-them/?sh=152a935066a1

 

https://hbr.org/2021/12/should-you-even-bother-with-new-years-resolutions-this-year

 

https://www.mymentalhealthsolutions.ca/blog