Here, in the middle of January, as we settle into the new year, is it becoming obvious that we are not keeping up with some of our new year’s resolutions? Are there others that we realize we won’t keep much longer? Is this another year of discovering that giving up smoking or working out every day or reducing TV to 2 hours a day are tough to do? Is it about as tough as it was last year or the year before or the year before that?
Why are resolutions so difficult to keep? Are resolutions goals or are they part of a wish list? If they are “give-up” resolutions, are they set-up for disappointment? Are we trying to break a long-term habit by stopping “cold turkey”? Do people try to break a life-long habit by willing it away? If I have done something for years, how do I stop doing it? Is an alternative action needed to replace it?
“Resolution demands a sacrifice”–Stephen King
If a resolution is a “will do,” as in, “I will do this on a specific regular basis, e.g., daily, am I again attempting to will something to be? Am I trying to adopt a habit by the power of my free will?
Do you make yearly resolutions? Are they usually about stopping or starting something? Are you successful with this approach? Do you think habits require more attention and intention to effect real change?
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