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While more than 50 per cent of adults make resolutions at the start of the year, 80 per cent fail to achieve them. Here’s how to make resolutions that you can stick to
The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions dates as far back as the Babylonians, who began each year by making promises to their gods to return borrowed objects and pay their debts. Although the practice continues to this day, the very concept of making resolutions is greeted with a healthy dose of scepticism, given the large numbers of people who give up on them within the very first week (27 per cent). And yet, studies also indicate that people who do choose to make a resolution for the New Year are 10 times more likely to follow through than those who aim to pursue improvements in other ways.
“There’s no doubt that the act of making resolutions is a positive step towards enhancing those areas of your life you think need work. However, the overwhelming reason for failed resolutions is related to their goal-setting process — in that, their goals are easily manipulated, unclear, or open to interpretation. When a goal is vague, it isn’t easy to measure, and it isn’t motivating. In fact, you may not even know that you have achieved it!” explains life coach Nidhika Bahl.
