About this time of year many people make resolutions or promises to themselves about the new year – most commonly regarding weight loss or quitting smoking. Despite the common view that many new year’s resolutions are a fruitless effort, a study found that almost half (46%) of new year’s resolvers were successful in their quest for behaviour change.
So, when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions – what works?
The study by John Norcross and colleagues published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology followed 159 new year’s resolvers and found five strategies which were associated with positive outcomes.
1. Willpower
It comes as no surprise that people who were successful in their resolutions at the six-month mark reported using more willpower. This fascinating podcast by ABC Radio National’s All in the Mind discusses strategies for strengthening your willpower muscle – check it out on the RN website, here.
2. Stimulus Control
The study found that successful resolvers reported using stimulus control whereas non-successful resolvers tended not to. Stimulus control involves keeping items around which remind you not to give in to the problem. To think those little affirmations and posters I place on the fridge and the back of the toilet door might actually work!
3. Avoidance
Successful resolvers reported avoiding situations which might trigger the problem behaviour. Avoiding the smoker’s area in the beer garden or not heading down the lolly aisle means you won’t need to test your willpower – sometimes problems do get solved by walking away!
4. Reinforcement Management
People who were the most successful in keeping their new year’s resolutions reported using little rewards to reinforce their behaviour.
5. Positive thinking
The participants who kept their new years resolutions reported keeping a positive attitude regarding their ability and willingness to change their behaviours. How is that for the power of positive thinking?
I would strongly recommend you to read the article available on PubMed here. The research also includes strategies that non-successful resolvers used, including self-blame and wishful thinking.
If you have set a personal goal for 2015 I wish you good luck.
Happy New Year to my followers and I wish you well for the new year!
