This New Year, Set Specific Goals, Not Resolutions

Self-improvement is a good thing, but according to research, professing New Year’s resolutions may not be the way to make positive changes in your life. One infamous study found that 43% of people who make resolutions had given up by the end of January. Another study found only about 19% of people who make the pledges had maintained their goals after two years. 

The problem, experts suggest, is that resolutions are often wishes or desires that are made without much planning or strategies on how to achieve success, says Jo Lichten, Ph.D., a retired nutritionist, author and motivational speaker who lives in Fernandina Beach.

“A New Year’s resolution is a statement of intention. It’s a good start. But you need a goal – something specific,” says Lichten, whose business is known as Dr. Jo. “Saying ‘this is the year I get in shape,’ doesn’t get you anywhere. But a goal is saying ‘I’m going to the gym twice a week. I’m going to lift weights or swim laps.’”

It takes some deliberation and planning. When she counsels private clients, Lichten says, she starts by learning detailed information about their lives. Understanding what challenges or obstacles may crop up should be part of the planning process. She recommends using the SMART system for goal-setting – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound​.

The resolution or goal, “should be something very specific, and you need a way to measure it. You can’t say, ‘I’m going to lose weight.’ Instead, say, ‘I’m not going to eat after 6 p.m.’ Make it specific and focus on one thing.”

Researchers also suggest breaking your goals down into smaller tasks or more manageable milestones. Avoid setting multiple goals. Also, people are more likely to succeed with lifestyle changes if they adopt goals involving taking action – rather than avoiding something. One study published of 1,000 people, published in 2020 found that those who had a specific goal, such as training to run a 5K race, were more likely to succeed than those who made a goal to avoid a behavior, such as not eating chocolate. People are simply more motivated when they focus on a positive outcome, the authors said.

People also tend to be more successful when they establish accountability, such as telling a friend about their plans or using technology to record and measure progress. Lichten refers people to advice from a 2012 self-help book entitled “The One Thing.”

“The question that was woven throughout the book is: What is the one thing you could do such that by doing it everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?”

Why people make resolutions

A study published earlier this year by the Pew Research Center found that New Year’s resolutions are popular. Three in 10 Americans make at least one resolution. People ages 18 to 29 are most likely to make a resolution. As people age, they are less likely to make resolutions. Resolutions surrounding health and wealth are the most popular.

But experts question using January 1​ as a start date for a behavior change.

“My feeling is, it’s always a good time to take stock of what you’re doing and trying to do better,” Lichten says. “Every day is a good day. We don’t have to wait for New Year’s Day.”

It’s also wise to expect some setbacks and prepare to overcome any barriers to change, she says. People who set New Year’s resolutions and then fail to keep them, may simply give up on the behavior change – until, perhaps, the next New Year’s Day rolls around.

If you slip up, don’t berate yourself, Lichten advises.

“It’s not so much what you do as what you say to yourself,” she says. “You are not doing yourself any favors by scolding yourself. It doesn’t necessarily motivate you. It just beats you down and makes you feel like a failure. Watch what you say to yourself. Be gentle and kind to yourself, kind of like a good friend would be.”