Ah, there's nothing like the start of a new year, right?
It's an opportunity to start anew. A clean slate. A chance to strive for greatness yet again.
Research suggests that, generally speaking, people don't come around to meeting -- and, in some cases, even working toward -- their New Year's resolutions.
Why is it that we place such a great emphasis on pressing the reset button on January 1 and becoming a better version of ourselves when, in most cases, we fall short?
I surmise that we do it for the following reason:
Life is nothing short of unpredictable, and we truly don't know what may lie ahead in the coming year. Thus, making New Year's resolutions give us the sense that we're at least partly in control of our lives.
We first look at our shortcomings and the toughest challenges we faced in the outgoing year and convince ourselves that, with a little time and effort, we can triumph over even the longest odds. For example, let's say you lost your job or botched an attempt at a diet in 2014. Your New Year's resolutions might include finding a job even better paying than your last one in a still-shaky economy, or following through on your goal to lose 50 pounds, even though the most pounds you've shed while dieting has been 5.
You may ask someone, "Why don't you just start working toward these goals on Dec. 31?" "It's just one day before."
But people insist upon viewing January 1st as the ideal jumping off-point. We view the arrival of a new year almost symbolically -- as if it marks the washing away of past mistakes and hardships and the onset of new hopes and dreams. The New Year essentially gives us a real sense of renewed optimism.
Thankfully, that's a great thing. In fact, research suggests that people who work hard to meet their New Year's resolutions not only have a sunnier disposition on life, but show higher levels of self-esteem and self-confidence -- and these feelings surge even more when the person meets his or her goals.
As it turns out, it pays to set New Year's resolutions and actually make good on them. Now that you know how advantageous this can be for your health and self-worth, what are you waiting for to set goals of your own?
What are some of your New Year's resolutions?
It's an opportunity to start anew. A clean slate. A chance to strive for greatness yet again.
Research suggests that, generally speaking, people don't come around to meeting -- and, in some cases, even working toward -- their New Year's resolutions.
Why is it that we place such a great emphasis on pressing the reset button on January 1 and becoming a better version of ourselves when, in most cases, we fall short?
I surmise that we do it for the following reason:
Life is nothing short of unpredictable, and we truly don't know what may lie ahead in the coming year. Thus, making New Year's resolutions give us the sense that we're at least partly in control of our lives.
We first look at our shortcomings and the toughest challenges we faced in the outgoing year and convince ourselves that, with a little time and effort, we can triumph over even the longest odds. For example, let's say you lost your job or botched an attempt at a diet in 2014. Your New Year's resolutions might include finding a job even better paying than your last one in a still-shaky economy, or following through on your goal to lose 50 pounds, even though the most pounds you've shed while dieting has been 5.
You may ask someone, "Why don't you just start working toward these goals on Dec. 31?" "It's just one day before."
But people insist upon viewing January 1st as the ideal jumping off-point. We view the arrival of a new year almost symbolically -- as if it marks the washing away of past mistakes and hardships and the onset of new hopes and dreams. The New Year essentially gives us a real sense of renewed optimism.
Thankfully, that's a great thing. In fact, research suggests that people who work hard to meet their New Year's resolutions not only have a sunnier disposition on life, but show higher levels of self-esteem and self-confidence -- and these feelings surge even more when the person meets his or her goals.
As it turns out, it pays to set New Year's resolutions and actually make good on them. Now that you know how advantageous this can be for your health and self-worth, what are you waiting for to set goals of your own?
What are some of your New Year's resolutions?
Comments