{"id":4600,"date":"2023-12-13T20:22:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T11:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/?p=4600"},"modified":"2023-12-13T20:22:18","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T11:22:18","slug":"why-we-fail-to-stick-to-our-new-years-resolutions-and-how-to-succeed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hanabi.asij.ac.jp\/opinion\/why-we-fail-to-stick-to-our-new-years-resolutions-and-how-to-succeed\/","title":{"rendered":"Why We Fail to Stick to Our New Year\u2019s Resolutions (and How to Succeed)"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

With winter break around the corner, for many it\u2019s a time for reflection on the past year and looking ahead toward the new year. Around the world, various cultures celebrate the new year in different ways, however, a common theme of many celebrations is goal-setting. But how likely are we to actually stick with our New Year\u2019s resolutions?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> done by the University of Scranton found that only 8% of people accomplish their New Year\u2019s goals. How many times have you set goals such as \u201cstudy harder\u201d or \u201ceat healthier\u201d year after year? If you\u2019re setting the same goals every year, it\u2019s clear that they aren\u2019t being accomplished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So why is it that so few of us stick to our New Year\u2019s resolutions?<\/span><\/p>\n

One reason is people tend to make unrealistic goals that they aren\u2019t capable of accomplishing. Peter Herman, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, and his colleagues <\/span>coined this phenomenon<\/span><\/a> \u201cfalse hope syndrome.\u201d False hope syndrome is when we set ourselves unreasonable expectations, and this overconfidence leads to disappointment in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reaching goals involves changing our behaviors, but the consciousness needs to change before the behavior does. Albert Einstein said, \u201cWe cannot solve a problem on the level of consciousness that created it.\u201d To solve a problem or achieve a goal, we need to change our perspective from the mindset that created the original problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another reason is that the goal may be too vague and we don\u2019t have a specific plan to achieve it. A goal is only a wish if it has no plan. If we want to change, we need sustained action that moves us toward completing the goal even if there are struggles or obstacles along the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of my recommendations so that you can reach your New Year\u2019s resolution in 2024:<\/span><\/p>\n