Stay the course

After partying it up New Year’s Eve, reality sets in January 1. The start of 2010 brings a chance at doing something better through New Year’s resolutions, but few actually reach their goals.

In fact, according to numerous studies, roughly three out of four people will fall flat on their face in their attempts to stick with the goals.

Failure to keep resolutions almost seems to be a running joke throughout the culture, yet people still make them as a sort of rite of passage, but psychologists have some tips on how to keep those yearly goals.

Much of the reason for failure actually lies within our brains, according to a study by Stanford University. The prefrontal cortex is located just behind the forehead and is responsible for willpower. Unfortunately, brain mapping has shown the cortex is a busy portion of the brain, helping us stay focused on daily tasks, solving problems and dealing with short-term memory. A resolution to lose weight only adds to this load.

The Stanford University study asked undergraduates to remember separate sets of numbers, one with two digits and the other with seven digits. They then had to remember the number going down a hallway to choose either a piece of cake or fruit salad.

The students remembering the longer set of numbers were just about twice as likely to choose the cake. With the cortex being kept busier, temptations had a greater effect.

Various experts on goal setting say people need to have a variety of strategies to avoid this fate with their New Year’s Resolutions.

For example, Centers for Children and Families clinical psychologist Elizabeth Buchanan, M.A., L.P.C., said it is critical people develop one specific goal, not list resolutions that aren’t clear. Resolving to lose 25 pounds is more specific than just losing weight.

"It needs to be tied to an actionable and specific goal by an actual date," she said.

She said resolutions should be broken down into individual steps to help people be more apt to follow through with them. In addition, writing them down helps make the resolution more real.

The practice of making resolutions isn’t new. The ancient god Janus is what January is named after, and he was the god of gates and beginnings. The ancient Babylonians made their own New Year’s resolutions, with their most popular resolutions being returning borrowed farm equipment. Today, the most popular ones are to lose weight or stop smoking.

"We see New Year’s as a new beginning, a new set of expectations and completing the previous year," Buchanan said.

Life coach Gary Ryan Blair, also known as the GoalsGuy, said resolutions need to be specific, measurable and time-bound to be successful.

"People instead make rather ambiguous statements of really no value," he said. "This creates a pattern of people not demonstrating commitment or a serious desire to change."

A big part of Blair’s emphasis is New Year’s Resolutions. He started a program called New Year’s Resolution Week at the first of the year to give tips on following through with those annual goals. He said the program helps people plan out both what resolution they need and map out how to keep the resolution throughout the year.

"The biggest challenge is accountability. We have a very disciplined and structured system," he said.

He has a resolution contract on his website designed to keep people accountable for their resolutions. He said a friend or mentor is critical to offer support and help monitor progress.

The Rev. Rick Enns, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, said he thinks resolutions play a role in his church attendance after the first of the year.

"There is an increase in numbers typically starting the second Sunday in January," he said.

He said he isn’t sure when those numbers start to decrease, and some start looking for new churches in January as well, partly why he puts an emphasis on outreach during the month.

"I am very intentional about being outsider-friendly in January. If people find a church friendly and with good worship, they are more likely to find it as a home," Enns said.

Blair said he looks as resolutions as a commitment, and when one is broken, a person’s self-integrity and confidence is harmed.

"The only acceptable outcome should be victory. A resolution is a commitment that should be honored like any other," Blair said.

POPULAR RESOLUTIONS

>> Lose weight/get fit.

>> Quit smoking/drink less alcohol.

>> Manage debt.

>> Get a better job.

>> Get a better education.

>> Reduce stress.

>> Take a trip.

>> Volunteer to help others.

Source: USA.gov