New Years Resolutions
The New Year is a time for resolutions and hopes for a better future. Resolutions are everywhere…online, on tv, all reminding us to lose weight, complete that degree we never finished in order to be a “happier, healthier, more accomplished person. So why year after year we set “New Year Resolutions” when studies show that most of us have given up our resolutions within 6 weeks.
I have a couple of thoughts. One, most of us say or resolutions rather then writing them down. Studies show that just by writing down your resolutions you increase your chance of success by 47%. If this number is true, that means that you can increase your chances of keeping your resolutions until week 22, sixteen more weeks just by writing down your resolution.
Another thought is that we put a lot of pressure on ourselves by just having a “resolution.” What would happen if instead of a resolution we chose to be more MINDFUL? There is a huge difference between a resolution and being mindful of our thoughts and behaviors.
The definition of a resolution is a “firm decision to do or not to do something”. This implies that there is only one way to be successful, you either do the behavior or don’t do the behavior but if you have any behavior that is not completely changed, you have failed according to this definition. Let me say that again, you have failed. No wonder most people give up on their resolutions so quickly. But what would happen if we changed our resolution to mindfulness? The definition of mindfulness is “the quality of state of being conscious or aware of something in the present moment without judgement.” This means that you can still have goals to be happier and healthier BUT if you fall short in your thoughts or behavior, you can still be successful in meeting your goal if you are aware of your choice. More simply put, mindfulness is not an all or nothing proposition.
So, if you want to increase the chances of reaching your goals this year, try thinking using MINDFULNESS and watch your lives change for the better.
Happy New Year!