Is it just me, or did 2012 go by far too quickly? Unlike high school that dragged on for a suffocatingly long time, the years we spend in college seem to pass by at lightning speed as real life waves to us from the suddenly near future. One minute you're a freshman, the next you're graduating and then what?
We are destined for change, real change, the kind that uplifts our lives and drops them into the crazy, fast-paced, terrifying real world, making us, like, adults or something.
And with every new year come resolutions we make for ourselves. Whether it be stick- ing pictures of Victoria Secret angels inside the fridge for thinspiration or vowing to "live in the moment," we all make them and usually slip up along the way. Because let's be honest; the likelihood of a per- son sticking to a resolution is slim to none, a fact we constantly overlook every single new year.
According to Psychology Today, "Research has shown that after six months, fewer than half the people who make New Year's resolutions stick with them, and, after a year, that number declines to around ten percent." Kind of disheartening statistics that make one wonder: why do we constantly feel the need, year after year, to commit to these resolutions that we usually never keep, and how can we start making ones that will stick?
Bruce Weinstein, writer for the Huffington Post, said "By setting the bar too high, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment, and this isn't be- ing fair to ourselves. This is not to suggest that we shouldn't strive to improve our conduct and character, but rather that we ought to set goals we're likely to accomplish."
A list by Time Magazine names common resolutions that include losing weight, eating healthier, saving money, traveling more, volunteering and other things that would ultimately lead to what most would say is a more fulfilling lifestyle. And usually these examples pertain to eliminating the vices that are considered bad for us.
"I'm only going to go to Fuji once a week. Unless I'm like, really hungry."
"I will no longer use the tanning bed. Except before spring break. And formal. And if I get way too pale."
"I'll do P90x everyday. Only nine weeks until Spring break, God help us all."
The idea of a "clean slate" that comes with the new year convinces us all we need to start over in some way. We set these rules for ourselves we almost always end up breaking because, as human beings, our interest wanes and suddenly that cheesecake looks way too good to pass up and the fight simply isn't worth it anymore. The idea of positive change lasts about as long as our willpower does.
So how can we avoid this constant battle between us and our resolutions? Forbes contributor Nancy Anderson said, "If you really want to change your behavior in 2013, forget the resolutions. Set goals instead and pick one that will impact you the most."
Setting up small, specific goals is a useful tactic that will keep people on track to the change they are trying to make, while simultaneously lessening the likelihood of failing.
In reality, any day is the day to start something new or to start over from scratch. Waiting for the new year to begin isn't a requirement for change. Do things that make you happy. Vow to get more sleep, get organized, or take a trip to a place you've never been.
In 2013, we should all do more things for ourselves and more things for others. Rather than focusing on these promises we never keep, the new year should allow us a new opportunity to make the best of every situation we've been given.
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