Resolutions that
Stick:
Resolving for Real Change in
2008
New
Year's resolutions are a tradition that 40 to 45
percent of U.S. adults will make this year,
according to renowned psychologist and
author John C. Norcross, Ph.D.
Emphasizing self-improvement, most resolutions
focus on healthy behaviors including exercise
regimens, weight loss, smoking cessation, and
curbing alcohol use.
Norcross'
research suggests that 40 to 46 percent of those
making resolutions will be successful.
Meanwhile, those who attempt to make life
changes via New Year's resolutions are 10 times
more likely to do well than "non-resolvers" with
the same goals. Norcross offers the following
tips for initiating and keeping
resolutions:
Realistic,
attainable goals - "Vague goals beget vague
resolutions. Grandiose goals beget resignation,"
he says.
Develop a
specific action plan.
Establish
genuine confidence - "Confidence, or
self-efficacy, as psychologists call it, is a
potent predictor of who succeeds in the new
year," he says.
Declare your
resolution publicly - "Public commitments
are generally more successful than private
decisions," he advises.
Cultivate
social support - "The buddy system works!
And buddies can be coworkers, family members,
friends, or fellow resolvers," he
says.
Track your
progress by recording or charting your changed
behavior.
Build in a
healthy behavior incompatible with your problem
- Norcross makes the examples of learning
to be assertive, if your resolution is to be
less passive, or working on relaxation skills if
you want to lower your stress level.
Arrange your
environment to help, rather than hinder,
you.
Expect
occasional slips in your resolutions - He
advises that most of us slip in January, but
that need not predict a fall. "Pick yourself up
and recommit to your resolution after a slip,"
he says, adding that one research study showed
that 71 percent of successful resolvers said
their first slip actually strengthened their
efforts.
Think of
resolutions as marathons, not 100-yard
dashes.
Create a
"slip plan" - Norcross recommends preparing
for slips that come with social pressures.
"Consider, for example, leaving the pressured
situation, distracting yourself, and calling a
friend, and reminding yourself that a slip, or
lapse, need not be a fall, or relapse," he
says.
Avoid
getting negative about yourself - "Remember
that meaningful change takes time," Norcross
says. "It takes three to six months before a
change becomes routine."
To
read more of Norcross' article, click here.
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