In a study conducted on January 1st, 2014 by the University of Scranton and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology it is shown that while 45% of us make New Year’s resolutions, only 8% keep them.
And every year millions of people make resolutions, hoping that somehow “this time” it will work. Statistics and common sense remind us the vast majority will end up in failure – and even worse, feeling guilty, ashamed and stuck. Probably the resolution will be replaced with a list of reasons why it can’t be achieved, it’s not really the right time, or maybe not even the right goal.
Yet each year, many of us make the same resolutions, once again, setting ourselves up – signing on to the same cycle of hope, work, disappointment, failure.
The problem we all have is not necessarily one of “will” but one of “choice” as many times these goals are unconsciously decided for us – we are told we will be happier if we are thinner, make more money, get a promotion, find that perfect partner, etc.
Without prefacing too much, these are often the worst resolutions to make.
“Lose Weight, Stay Fit and Healthy, Get Organized” – they all have very vague terms, and more importantly, are not things we directly have control over. We can exercise twenty minutes every day, eat only fruits and vegetables, and yes we probably will lose some weight, but still the only guarantee we have is over our own choices – that is our behavior.
If we really want to keep our resolutions, we need to make sure they are things we have control over, and we need to make commitment to things beyond ourselves.
Making more money –no. Writing for two hours a day – yes. You get the idea.
If you want to lose weight, start with a goal that is clearly within your control, and also focuses on something gained – not lost. For example, become a run streaker, and make a commitment to run every day for at least 1 mile – I believe this is the minimum amount – join the community and make the commitment to them as well. Commitment strategies work best when they are made to someone other than ourselves.
Why?
Because when we only commit to ourselves the accountability is a private matter and so is the shame that comes from giving up. Yet when the commitment is made to someone, or something beyond ourselves, we feel a sense of responsibility to that person, and the shame is also public – which is a very powerful motivator.
As we all know, many of us will do for our friends and family before we do for ourselves, and commitment strategies that employ this instinctive human tendency accomplish both goals – paying dividends to us and our supporters.
Want another example?
If you want to get more organized, make a commitment to clean out your house or part of the house each week and give the unwanted contents to a friend, or better yet, give your friend 52 twenty dollar bills, which your friend only releases to you once the weekly cleaning is complete. Commitment strategies that incorporate the natural desire to avoid loss – known as “loss aversion” – are also very effective.
Why?
Losing something that we already have – in this case the 52 twenty dollar bills – as oppose to something we only have the possibility of gaining is a much more powerful motivator.
This is why your friend offering to pay you twenty dollars for every “cleaning job” doesn’t work so well –because the money is only a possibility. When you put up the twenty dollar bills, you risk losing what you already have.
Making resolutions is not a bad idea – but in order to be successful, we also have to be aware of what strategies work and what doesn’t.
To recap:
Choose goals that are your own
Choose goals that you have control over
Make yourself accountable to something beyond yourself
Use effective commitment strategies –such as loss aversion
With a little time, patience, determination and effective commitment strategies we can all reach those resolutions.
Andrei Nana is a licensed attorney, specializing in business law, business owner, and ultra-runner. Andrei has completed 22 races of 100+ miles or 24 hours, including the Spartathlon in 2013 and 2014 – finishing 2nd American and 27th overall in 2013. Recognizing the need for organization in international ultrarunning, Andrei founded the International 100+ UltraRunning Foundation, which focuses on developing elite international ultrarunning. Nana is also the creator of the first six day race in Florida, the Icarus Florida UltraFest. Sought out for his ability to overcome excuses and his unique approach to commitments, Andrei created Nana Endurance Training and frequently presents to organizations, businesses and works directly with individuals.
For more information about Andrei, visit:
www.internationalultrarunning.com or
www.nanaendurancetraining.com.
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Last reviewed: 28 Dec 2014
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