According to a study by Place of Hope, the average person only sticks to their new year’s resolutions for the first month. The rate continues dwindling in the subsequent months. Come December, only a few can actually claim that they have been able to keep the resolutions. But what really happens along the way? Why are people generally unable to keep the resolutions that they set for a new year?
John Norcross, a researcher, argues that one reason to explain this is that most people have taken the making of new year’s resolutions as just a formality. So, they feel like they have to make the resolutions even if they don’t have the drive to meet them. That’s why some people will say that they will lose weight next year and the first thing that they do with their December pay is stocking their kitchen with fad diets.
Others will plan to quit drinking and the first thing that they do to welcome the new year is drink like there won’t be tomorrow. By the time they are sober and hangover-free, it’s the third day of the new year. The other reason, perhaps the main one, according to Norcross is that a majority of new year’s resolutions are self-centered. They are only designed to help us and not the people around us – family, friends, and the community. Norcross claims that it’s easier to keep new year’s resolutions that are not just about you.
To help you, here are 10 new year’s resolutions worth keeping:
- Save Up
With a Family that depends on you, you need to save up. You should save up for the kids’ education, for medical emergencies, and for retirement. Even though there are expensive bills to pay, you should make it a habit of reducing the expenses and setting some funds aside. For example, you can apply energy-saving approaches such as the use of energy-efficient light fixtures and solar heaters to save up on electricity costs. You can also change your feeding habits so as to save on grocery costs.
- Join the Fight Against a Social Issue
In the community, problems such as teen pregnancy, drug abuse, homelessness, and child abuse are prevalent. They are what we call social issues and they impact negatively on a community. Fighting these issues is a community responsibility and since you are part of the community, your contribution is always welcomed. You can start by joining community organizations in their fight against social issues. You can also avail time to talk to someone in the community who is a victim of the issues.
- Play with Family
According to Art Aron, an expert psychologist, a family that takes time to play with each other becomes closer each time they do it. They are able to share fun moments by engaging in activities that everyone likes. Some of the things that you can do weekly or monthly are riding a rollercoaster, playing soccer or going mountain climbing. Everyone in the family will be looking forward to the date if it’s really fun.
- Engage in Personal Interactions
With social media taking over the interaction spectrum, it’s easier to forget how to properly connect with real people in the real world. “Not everyone on social media is genuine and so they cannot give you the satisfaction that you need,” insists Art Aron. You should thus drop the phone and go out to meet new people and make friends out of them. Likewise, you should drop the phone for your family and create time to have in-person talks.
- Laugh More
This applies to the workplace and at home. You need to say happy most of the time in the new year and there is no better therapy than laughter. While at home with your family, you should find ways to crack jokes. For instance, you can watch a comedy together that everyone will laugh at. At the workplace, try as much as possible to alleviate stress. You can crack jokes with your colleagues during lunch break so as to reduce work tension.
- Listen More
Sometimes, things go wrong around us because we don’t take time to listen. Listening is a skill that can help you relate well at home and at the workplace. It saves you from getting into a confrontation and displeasing anyone. In the new year, you should plan to pay attention to what others are saying even if you think you are right. This will help you get important details.
- Uplift Others
There are many things that you can do for others to uplift them and in the long run uplift yourself. For instance, you can plan to motivate people at work and in the neighborhood. You can be kind to them and practice sharing. The idea is to plant a smile on someone else’s face first before you plant it on yours.
- Practice Gratefulness
What are the things that you are grateful for? They are what you need to go through a bad experience. You probably have heard about a gratitude jar. It allows you to deposit a list of the things you are grateful for each morning you wake up. You should have it if you are planning to be grateful for the new year. You should also learn to appreciate others when they do something good to you.
- Express Love
There are many ways to express love. You can say it with words or show it off in actions. People generally appreciate the latter since it’s practical. So, you don’t just have to say it but act it. Start by buying gifts to the people you love and being there for them when they need you. They should be able to feel your affection and empathy.
- Observe Self-Care
Lastly, you have to take care of yourself just as you take care of the people around you. You need to identify all the negative energies and swap them with positive drives. To do it, you can enroll in a yoga studio or a mindfulness program. Get regular chiropractic adjustments. This will help you take care of your inner you. You should also take care of the physical you by joining a fitness program and nutritional class.
Final Thought:
Generally, new year’s resolutions are meant to be kept. When the focus is not just one you but also on the people around you, keeping the resolutions becomes easier since you know that there are people who depend on your contribution in their lives. With the above ideas, you can revise your new year’s resolutions so as to ensure you keep most of them by the end of the year.
