With the coming of a new year, some of us begin to think about ways to improve our lives. Approximately 31 per cent of Canadians will come up with a new year’s resolution. About 73 per cent will ultimately break their resolution. In fact, 80 per cent of resolutions fail by February.
This week, we take a deeper dive into resolutions.
Why we Make Resolutions
The practice of making a new year’s resolution dates back centuries, with roots in ancient Babylonia and Rome. These days, we are drawn to the idea of a “clean slate” to work with. Couple that with the idea of creating a better version of ourselves, and resolutions seem alluring. Of course, some choose to do it simply because it is a tradition.
Most Common Resolutions
The most common resolutions for Canadians include: exercising, losing weight, eating healthier, saving money or getting out of debt, travelling more, quitting bad habits like smoking, spending more time with family and friends, and learning new skills. A resolution rising in popularity is to quit social media, or at least to devote less time to it. Similarly, some people want to “unplug” and spend less time on their smartphone or tablet. The hardest resolution to keep appears to be anything related to diet and exercise.
Money Spent
Resolutions don’t always come cheap. Of course, gym memberships are a popular January purchase, with one study finding that nearly 11 per cent of all gym memberships are purchased during this month. But other resolutions might cost money, too — purchasing budgeting software or hiring a financial consultant to help you save money, buying a new piece of exercise equipment, or paying for supplies related to a new hobby. Psychologically, paying for something is said to make us feel as though we are working towards our goals, even if it hurts our pocketbooks. In one survey, it was found that 40.14 per cent of people will spend anywhere between $100-500 on resolutions. Nearly 14 per cent of respondents said they spend between $500 and $1,000.
Why We Fail
Resolutions fall flat for a number of reasons. Often, our goals are either unrealistic (“I will lose 50 pounds by February!”) or they are simply not well defined. For many, the resolution might simply be “to lose weight.” Without a defined, reasonable target, that is hard to achieve. Whenever you make a goal, it is best to make a SMART goal — one that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
Other reasons we fail include feeling discouraged when we don’t see results right away, or feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes, we simply forget or fail to keep track of our progress.
Alternatives
Perhaps a traditional resolution is not your thing. That’s okay, because there are lots of alternatives.
Some people like to choose a word for the year. The idea is that the word will guide you throughout the year. So, whenever you need to focus or need advice, you can turn to that word for wisdom. Typical words might be something like “learn,” “gratitude,” “optimism,” “persistence,” or “simplify.” Think Jim Carrey saying yes to everything in the film Yes Man, but less…insane.
Others like to make a yearly “bucket list.” This is basically a list of everything you want to do or experience that year. Options might include “travel,” “go camping,” “host a dinner party,” or “take an art class.” The idea is this is more manageable and realistic.
Another popular alternative is to focus on others, rather than yourself. Resolutions are about improving our own lives, but some find it more rewarding to help others. To get started, consider volunteering or finding other ways you can help local groups or charities.
Finally, you might also want to try a yearly challenge. This can take many forms. For example, you could choose to do one thing every day for a year. This could be something productive like taking 10,000 steps per day, or it could be something more fun and potentially introspective, like taking a picture of yourself or a loved one every day for the entire year. Other options include trying to read a book a week (or as many as you can in one year) or find a list of classic films and see how many you can watch over the course of the year.
Whether you made a resolution or not, hopefully you have a happy and successful 2020!
