Try Something Different with Your New Year's Resolutions

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Most of us set goals or resolutions for the upcoming year. And with the disruption to our lives prompted by the pandemic, many of us probably have an extra-long list of things we would like to change. Even though most of us have not been successful in previous years’ resolutions, each year we are confident that this year will be different. Yet, the usual path prevails. That's because the intention to change our behavior is not enough to result in actual behavioral change.

Here are a few tips to help you make this year different:

  • Approach goals vs. Avoidance goals. Approach goals help you move toward the desired outcome. An example of an approach goal is, "I am going to eat a cup of yogurt for my afternoon snack." This positively-phrased goal is in contrast to avoidance goals, which describe something you will stop doing. An example might be, "I'm not going to eat junk food as a snack." While these goals might seem similar in promoting healthy eating, they involve different cognitive and emotional processes.

    • Approach goals elicit more significant positive emotions, thoughts, self-evaluation, and greater psychological well-being.

    • Avoidance goals are associated with fewer positive thoughts and more significant negative emotions. Additionally, they do not provide direction on what we will do, only what we will stop doing.

    • An example of converting an avoidance goal into an approach goal would be:

      • Avoidance goal: I will stop watching TV after dinner.

      • Approach goal: I will take a 20-minute walk after dinner.

  • Performance or Mastery Goals. Performance goals involve judging and evaluating progress. An example of this type of goal is, "I plan to lose 10 pounds in two months." Failure to achieve this goal may be interpreted as a failure and impact our self-evaluation. Instead of a performance goal to lose 10 pounds in two months, you might set one or more mastery goals that encourage learning, problem-solving, or active engagement. Examples of these types of goals are: "I plan to prepare nutritious meals” or "I plan to learn a new form of recreational activity." Mastery goals promote self-evaluation of current efforts and do not focus on failure or an all-or-nothing approach to goal achievement.

  • Difficult or Easy Goals. Research in organizational psychology has consistently demonstrated that challenging goals produce better results than easy goals, especially when committed to the goal (Locke et al., 2002). That's because easy goals often result in low effort and decreased progress (Locke et al., 1980). While goal commitment is a function of many factors, inherently rewarding goals may also result in a higher level of commitment despite its difficulty. An example of an intrinsic reward might be how you feel after eating a nutritious meal or engaging in your favorite physical activity.

  • Action Plans. Efforts to achieve our goals is often a result of a lack of action plans. Action plans specify where, when, and how a goal will be implemented. These plans map or provide direction on how the goal will be achieved. Below are a few of the characteristics of high-quality action plans:

    • Reflect your individual situation, needs, likes, and dislikes.

    • Focus on actions of short durations, such as 1-week timeframes, and reevaluate weekly.

    • Shared and supported by others close to us.

    • Contain actions that you believe are achievable.

  • Coping Plans. These types of plans are similar to action planning. That's because these plans involve anticipating barriers and challenges that may interfere with action plans. These plans shield our action plans from distraction and derailment. For example, suppose your action plan includes taking a walk each evening after dinner. In that case, you can easily be derailed by the weather. However, if you create a coping or contingency plan to walk on a treadmill or stream an exercise routine when the weather is difficult, it will increase the likelihood of living up to your commitment.

If you are committed to making this year the year that you stick with your New Year’s resolutions, put a little time and effort into building a process that will increase the likelihood of success. To help you reflect on what is important to you, below are a couple of exercises that may help you align your New Year’s resolutions to your values.

References

Bailey, R. R. (2019). Goal setting and action planning for health behavior change. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 13(6), 615-618.

Locke, E.A., Latham G. P. (2002).Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. A 35-year odyssey. Am Psychol. 57:705-717.

Locke, E. A., Shaw, K.N., Saari, L.M., Latham, G.P. (1981). Goal setting and task performance: 1969-1980. Psychol Bull. 1981; 90:125.