Graphic by Ashley Johnson
During the transition from one year to the next, there are many traditions that people utilize to ensure their success in the coming year. From eating grapes for good luck to watching the ball drop, there is a special event people partake in during New Year’s celebrations. But what about New Year’s Resolutions? Are they actually improving people’s lives, or are they just a fake excuse for a restart?
According to the Fisher College of Business, studies show that only 9% of people stick with their New Year’s resolutions, and 43% may even quit by the end of January.
The beginning of a new year represents a lot of new opportunities. When people create something to commit to amongst all the festivities, it almost gives them a chance to back out whenever they want. A statement made in passing does nothing to solidify actual improvements in someone’s lifestyle.
Claiming to be better without any real motivation to complete their goals provides an easy out for people who are not really ready for a change. This then makes people more disappointed when they show no improvement later on in the year, even though they were not going to do anything anyway. The tradition seems to just set many people up for failure.
Without any real intention to change, it is hard to stay driven to complete somewhat unrealistic goals. By writing down your plans, setting smaller checkpoints throughout the year, or simply dropping New Year’s resolutions altogether, there are ways to stay strong during the next 365 days without banking everything on a thing you say on January 1st.