Do New Year's Resolutions Work?

As we reach the end of 2014 and approach 2015, some people may start thinking of their new year's resolutions. Whether you've tried setting goals for yourself for the new year or not, we all know that very few people have actually been successful. So why do many of us set goals knowing that we probably won't follow through?

Apparently, setting goals for ourselves helps us achieve more because we have our minds set on something we want. However, the down side is falling short of the goal and feeling like you didn't accomplish anything. So which dominates, the pros or the cons?

There are many benefits to goal-setting. According to 8 Benefits of Goal Setting, one of the most beneficial reasons for this is understanding and comprehending what you want, which can save a lot of time, stress, and worry. Therefore, you won't end up attempting something that won't help you in the future. For example, if you want to do better in school, one of your first resolutions may be to get an A in English class. By setting this goal, you have a better idea of how to approach it and what you can do to achieve an A in the class. On the other hand, if you didn't focus on a goal, you might end up spending a lot of time doing extra work in order to improve all of you grades at once. Of course, this will end up be extremely stressful and there are no guarantees that you will get that desired GPA in the end. 

There really are no negatives for resolutions if you are successful. But that's the problem. There are so many ways to fall out of a promise, which is where all the negativity lies. Some possible culprits for unsuccessful goal-achieving are:

        - lack of dedication

        - impatience

        - laziness

        - temptations

Let's focus on a resolution to be more active. All it takes is to get out of bed in the morning and do something that doesn't involve sitting around the house. Easier said than done. Not being dedicated or patient may discourage a person if results aren't seen in a short amount of time. Of course, staying in the warm and cozy bed is much nicer than running around or exercising for an hour at least. The temptation is too strong! And finally, having a few lazy days is understandable. Unfortunately, one lazy day can lead to another which can ultimately end up in months of laziness. After a couple of months, it is quite difficult to get into exercising again. In many people's case, our resolution is in the back of our mind and we're aware of that, but it's hard to actually start doing something about it.

Since we can all see that not achieving a goal is much more common and easier than achieving success, we should look at ways to help us reach the end. The most common is motivation. Some possible motivation techniques are:

        - a support system

        - rewards

Getting together with friends or family to achieve a common goal makes everything a lot easier than struggling by yourself. We all have our bad days and what would make them better is having someone who is willing to help you get up and keep going. Second, rewards are a great way to encourage yourself to move closer to success. Keep in mind that your rewards shouldn't out-weigh your resolution. For example, a reward for being more active shouldn't be five hours of video games. 

Making and achieving resolutions can really be helpful and rewarding, but failing at them can be discouraging. Luckily, we have different techniques that can allow us to be more successful in. So, making resolutions at the start of a new year is a good way to keep yourself aware of what you want to get out of the many months to come. In addition, being aware of the possibility of not being successful is important, but having a plan on how to stay on track is even better when it gives you the chance to make the most out of the year.