Secrets to Sticking with Your New Year’s Resolutions for Lasting Change

While understanding how to execute resolutions once established is crucial, the mentality surrounding goal-setting for the year also significantly influences the sustainability of that resolution.

Ani Bryce, the Associate Clinical Research Coordinator at UNC for the Pathways to Adolescent Success Study, specializes in self-compassion research. She offered insights into dealing with the self-criticism that frequently accompanies New Year’s resolutions.

She mentioned that a simple way to cultivate self-compassion is to converse with oneself as one would with a friend.

“For instance, if a friend approached you and said, ‘This year, I want to work out more,’” Bryce stated. “Your reply shouldn’t be, ‘Seriously, you’re so lazy.’ Instead, it should be, ‘That’s fantastic. I’m really proud of you for setting that goal.’”

She observed that self-compassion can assist individuals in approaching their objectives rather than fixating on the negative aspects.

“What self-compassion provides is essentially a radical shift in how one views a New Year’s resolution,” she remarked.

While many perceive resolutions through the prism of their perceived shortcomings, she believed it is more beneficial for individuals to maintain a positive self-image. Those making resolutions should view their aims and the related advantages as something they are worthy of achieving, which will enable them to take more constructive steps toward accomplishing them.

Melinda Manning, director of the Child and Family Program at UNC Hospitals and an adjunct instructor at UNC’s School of Social Work, has experience with well-being perspectives encompassing mental, physical, and spiritual health.

“When I reflect on well-being, I perceive it as highly individualized,” Manning articulated. “What symbolizes well-being for one person might be vastly different for another.”

She recommended that individuals tailor their resolutions to be just as personalized. Specifically, she suggested that resolutions should resonate with individuals instead of choosing those merely for their appeal or to impress others.

“It is also vital to establish some resolutions focused on infusing joy into your life, however that may manifest for you,” she noted.

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