How to become a resolution-ary

As 2010 comes to a close, it's only natural we find ourselves taking stock of our lives over these past 12 months. During this time of self-reflection, many of us find a few things we'd like to change, and a fresh, new year is the perfect opportunity to work toward a fresh, new you. So, with all of this motivation, why do even the best-intentioned resolutions fail to stick?

American psychologist Dr. Pauline Wallin says one factor contributing to this failure is when we make our resolutions. "During the month of December, people tend to overindulge in eating, drinking, spending money and neglecting exercise," she said. "Rather than moderate these behaviors, we promise ourselves that after the holiday season is over, we will definitely take control. ? We give ourselves permission to overindulge without guilt."

But promises we make to ourselves during this guilt-free overindulgence are set up to fail. "Our resolve is at its peak when we feel full, drunk or broke," Wallin says. "It's easy to think about going on a diet as we groan from a bloating holiday meal. It's no problem to plan to quit smoking when we've just had a cigarette and replenished our nicotine level. At this point, we feel confident about our new year's resolutions because we have not yet confronted any prolonged physical deprivation or discomfort."

But as we begin to experience the reality of our task, resolve drains quickly. We can see this in action at any gym or fitness club. The wait time for space or equipment in the first weeks of January is ludicrous - but by the end of February, everything is back to normal.

Janet Polivy, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto in Canada, agrees that overly optimistic expectations are a major culprit.

"[People] are unrealistic in their expectations about how fast and easy it will be to change, how big the change will be and how many rewards they will receive for having made the change," Polivy says. "So when it is hard to change, takes a long time, the changes are small, and the world does not stop to congratulate you - [people just] give up."

But even though resolutions tend to reach for goals beyond our grasp, Polivy believes "resolution-aries" do actually believe the goal is attainable, rather than merely wishful thinking.

Resolution statistics continue to paint this somewhat bleak picture. In the most recent comprehensive study of the resolution problem, the Journal of Clinical Psychology found in 2002 that only 46 percent of new year's resolutions were still in place in July. But maybe that's because the most common resolutions are the hardest to keep: lose weight, cut spending and quit smoking are by far the most popular, and they all require a sacrifice.

Alan Law, MSc, teaches psychology at the English College in Prague. He calls this type of resolution a "negative" one, in the sense that "we want to remove something from our lives, such as smoking, drinking or being fat. ?[But] adding new behavior is probably easier."

Law says the main reason resolutions fail is that we just don't know how to get there.

"[These] are resolutions, not carefully constructed plans for change. They are an expression of desire for change rather than real commitment. Unfortunately, saying we want to achieve something isn't enough."

Law has seen many of his students resolve to get better grades, only to be disappointed because they didn't have a plan.

"A better goal," he suggests, "is to find out how other people get good results and see if there's some behavior you can emulate."

One way to stay on track is to keep a record of your progress, so make sure your resolution is something you can measure. "If we can't easily monitor our progress toward a goal, it isn't going to be as satisfying," Law said, warning that "vague goals that won't be achieved for several months are more likely to fail."

While it may be more of a challenge to find a sense of pride and motivation in short-term successes, Law prescribes breaking down the long-term picture into something you can see now.

"A small increase in academic performance, fewer cigarettes and a small increase in exercise are all more achievable, and it's easier to notice when you've achieved them - which may increase your motivation to continue."

He also recommends adhering to "SMART" goals: goals that are Specific, Measurable, Realistic and Timely.

Polivy agrees having a detailed plan is a key ingredient. She has witnessed many resolutions being affirmed, and the successful ones have all had a concrete plan for change.

"I know many people who have quit smoking cold turkey and who have lost weight or changed some other undesirable behavior," she said. "They all had plans ahead of time, and even went so far as to warn people close to them about the intended change and possible problems, like irritability in the smokers."

So while a 46 percent success rate may not seem that promising, the "glass is half-full" approach means nearly one out of two people have reached their goal. And there's no reason why that person can't be you.

Christie Elizabeth can be reached at
specialsection@praguepost.com