The Current20:59Why is it so hard to stick to a New Year’s resolution?
Research shows most people give up on their resolution four months into the year — but experts say, it doesn’t have to be like that. We speak with two people who study the science behind setting goals and changing behavior about how we can make our new years resolutions stick. And what’s so special about January 1st, anyway?
Two weeks into the new year and you can’t escape it — the lineup at the treadmill, the copy of War and Peace on the bedside table, or the swift shake of the head when a friend offers a glass of wine mid-week.
Don’t worry, though. Come Valentine’s Day, the gym will seem like a ghost town and you’ll likely fall asleep with phone in hand instead of Tolstoy.
Most of us abandon the good intentions we made Jan. 1 within four months— and, according to a 2023 Forbes Health study of 1,000 participants, fewer than seven per cent turned their resolution into a habit that lasted a year or longer.
But experts say it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want to make your resolutions stick, there are ways to get science to work in your favour.
Tricking yourself
New Year’s resolutions are basically a trick of the mind, says Prof. Katy Milkman. They’re built on what the behavioural economist dubs “the fresh start effect” — that feeling you’re on the brink of a new chapter.
“It’s related to the way we think about time, not as a continuous resource, but as a resource that’s categorized into buckets,” said Milkman, who teaches at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “It gives us a little extra motivation when we might need it every so often, and a chance to start fresh with our vision of who we want to be.”
Holding onto motivation is often the hardest part. But a 2016 Journal of Consumer Research study found a major predictor of success is whether you actually enjoy the goal you’ve set.
That doesn’t mean you can’t do something challenging or even life-changing, says Kaitlin Wooley, professor of marketing at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, who co-authored the study of 2,000 participants.
But if you want something to stick, don’t be a martyr. No pounding the pavement alone at 6 a.m. during the most frigid months of the year if you choose to take up running, she says.
“Find ways to make it more fun — so maybe … a podcast or, you know, a friend that [you’re] running with,” she said. “It’s not different activities that [you’re] choosing. It’s just the way that [you] approach the goal.”
The power of a reward
Combining challenge and reward in the same package is known as temptation bundling — something that vastly improves motivation and persistence when forming a new habit, Milkman’s research shows.
“It’s something that feels like a chore if you do it alone, but then combining it with an activity that’s truly tempting so that you’re looking forward to, and craving, that other thing.”
For her, that means watching The Diplomat on the elliptical, but it can translate to other goals.
“Maybe there’s sort of a, you know, not-so-good-for-you restaurant you only get to visit when spending time with a difficult relative,” she said, laughing.
Or, for Barb Marshall, it’s the thrill of beautiful stationery, the steaming cup of tea that accompanies her at the table when screen time is pulling at her more than the urge to sit down and write — little moments of joy to bolster her resolution.
This year, the Port Hope, Ont., woman plans to write one letter a week. It’s something she enjoys, she said, but her motivation wears down as life becomes busy.
“I do get into slumps, but I do love writing letters so much. That in itself is part of the motivation, right?” she said. “It’s the whole experience that keeps me doing it, whether people write me back or not.”
The first resolution goes hand-in-hand with her second, one that might feel all too familiar: to cut down screen time. The tactile experience of letter writing keeps her grounded when she might instead pick up her phone.
The ending of a year is a time when many come up with a list of goals and resolutions for the year ahead. But after the initial motivation dies down, how do you stay consistent? The CBC’s Arlette Lazarenko spoke with personal trainers in St. John’s on what they believe works after the January rush.
Marshall’s two-for-one resolutions reveal great insight. Woolley’s research found it’s harder for people to stick to a goal that involves giving something up than it is to start something new.
Instead of resolving not to drink alcohol during the week, for example, choose to make a new mocktail alongside dinner from Monday to Friday.
“You’re hoping to achieve the same outcome,” she said. “Reframing it is going to make you approach it in a way that’s bringing you more joy.”
Daily goals
For two weeks, Adrienne Grant’s mornings have looked the same: before her feet hit the floor, she takes a moment to be grateful for the day that’s passed or the day to come.
In previous years, her resolutions have fallen by the wayside.
“For this one, I’ve actually tried to make it pretty intentional to start the day, and make it something that I can actually accomplish,” the Uxbridge, Ont., woman said. “I don’t know if it’s a placebo effect, but I do feel like I am preparing myself for more of a positive experience with the day, and I do, I feel a little bit lighter.”
Milkman’s research suggests Grant’s approach of daily, bite-size changes will heighten the chance she’ll stick with it.
And for those who have already fallen off the bandwagon, take heart. You don’t need to wait another 350 days to start a new chapter — you just need to wait for a new week.
“Mondays are miniature fresh starts that have a similar effect on our motivation to pursue new goals,” Milkman said. “It’s a mini new beginning.”
