Tips to keep your New Year's resolutions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The best of intentions, that is what New Year's resolutions are all about.
From the start, the odds are against your success. So, how do you change the narrative and improve your chances?
There are simple ways to succeed, starting with not overwhelming yourself.
Check out just about any fitness facility right now and you'll find the personification of New Year's resolutions.
"About 25% of people aren't able to keep their New Year's resolutions, even for a week. But a third of people are struggling to keep them for a month or so. Two-thirds keep them, about a third fall off, and then, six months out, little less than half are still keeping their New Year's resolution," Dr. Gary Swanson said. Swanson serves as an Allegheny Health Network psychiatrist.
So, Dr. Swanson said don't see the goal a year or six months down the road, today is what counts, then tomorrow.
"Once you get into that habit, that's a doable resolution, and the by the time the end of march rolls around, you're gonna want to keep doing it because you'll find, 'Hey, this is pretty easy. I've got a plan,'" Swanson added.
Doable is the key.
"We can really set ourselves up to feel very discouraged, very disappointed, or even worse yet to feel like we failed," James Shamlin said. Shamlin serves as the Clinical Director for the Cranberry Psychological Center. "The two things we can control in life the most are our attitude and our effort."
Denying ourselves of things can be an attitude crusher.
Keep that positive goal in the crosshairs. Nothing happens all at once and giant leaps are often less successful than little steps.
Does the chance of success increase if you share your resolutions with other people?
For some people, yes, but in moderation, perhaps have one person you share with, and that's just one of the suggestions the experts have for success.
Generally, we make resolutions to improve ourselves.
But we have to be realistic, or we can wind up discouraged or even depressed.
By their very nature, New Year's resolutions tend to be bold, dramatic, and look like a mountain.
"We focus a lot on outcomes and sometimes that ends up becoming our biggest distraction to focusing on the actual process, which we can change, and manage," Shamlin added. "'How did I do with my goal for today?'"
And if it didn't go so well, remember: "Every day is an opportunity for a new year to begin," said Shamlin.
"You just stop and think, 'Well, what didn't work? And let me set another goal. Let me start on Feb. 1 and see if I can't do this,'" Dr. Swanson said.
Or, just ignore the calendar and take it a day at a time. Dr. Swanson said to keep a journal or log.
"A self-monitoring program where you're keeping track and noting for yourself that you're doing it makes a big difference for most people in terms of behavior change."
Sharing your goal with a friend can also help, especially if they have a similar goal.
"But if you and your friends are on the same page and you're talking with each other, you're not only self-monitoring, but you're monitoring for the other and that keeps you on."
"At our most vulnerable moments, wanting to give in to that little demon on our shoulder. We're reminded that I put this goal out toward someone else," Dr. Swanson said.
What isn't advisable is to put your resolution out there for everybody to see, like on social media, because failure can then be embarrassing and devastating.
So, write down your progress, good and bad, and don't give up even if you have a bad day.
That's the key. The fact is, we tie these things to the calendar, but they are changes we can start, or restart any day.
