- Past the first week: 75%
- Past 2 weeks: 71%
- After one month: 64%
- After 6 months: 46%
While a lot of people who make new years resolutions do break them, research done at the University of Scranton and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology shows that making resolutions is useful. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions.
So if you've made resolutions, great! If not, don't worry, you can set goals for yourself any time of the year. The best way to ensure you reach your goals is to make them SMART:
Specific: don't make your goal too general. Instead of saying 'get healthy', say 'lower my cholesterol'
Measurable: how will you know if you have reached your goal? What do you want your cholesterol level to be?
Attainable: don't waste your time with impossible goals. If you want to lose weight, don't think you are going to go from a size 20 to a size 4 in a couple of months.
Rewarding: make sure you have a reason to set this goal, otherwise you won't be motivated. What will lower cholesterol or weight loss bring you? Long term health can be your reward.
Time-Framed: set a deadline and mini deadlines. If weight loss is your goal, you could aim for 1-2 pounds per week, and up to 10% of your weight over 6 months.
And the winner is...
Anonymous had the closest guess.
Congratulations Anonymous, your are officially a Smartie Pants! - but next time leave your name so you can prove it when you brag about your Smartie Pants status!
What goals and resolutions have you set for yourself?
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