Erin Owens
Staff Writer
For many people, New Year’s Day welcomes a fresh start and an opportunity to leave detrimental behaviors in the past by way of a new year’s resolution – a pledge one takes in order to implement positive changes in their everyday life.
In 1989 John C. Norcross of the University of Scranton conducted a study of 200 New Yorkers as they implemented their new year’s resolutions. This study found that roughly 77 percent of participants were able to maintain their resolutions throughout the first week.
After the two year duration of this study data showed that roughly 19 percent of participants had considered themselves successful in maintaining their resolves.
Many people who make new year’s resolutions aim for short term success. Tina Johnson, a freshman music education major said she no longer makes resolutions.
“I never complete my new year’s resolutions, so I don’t see the point in making them anymore,” she said.
Despite her dismissal of resolutions, Johnson offered a few tips to be successful.
“For people who are wanting to stick with resolutions, depending on the resolution, I recommend they keep a planner and set alarms for certain things,” she said. “Planners will help you stay organized and do a better job keeping up with what you need to do.”
Norcross followed up with his study in 2002 by comparing the rate of success between people who were making life changes as a new year’s resolution and those who were just interested in changing problematic behavior.
His study found that the participants who had initiated change as a result of a new year’s resolution were more successful than those who had not. This study also found that after a six month period, roughly 46 percent of those who had made new year’s resolutions were still successful.
Many factors contribute to a person’s inability to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Lack of motivation, lack of time, lack of support and burning out are some of the most common excuses given as to why a resolution was not successful.
In his article “Just 8% of People Achieve Their New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s How They Do It.” published by Forbes, Dan Diamond suggests a few tips to help aid those wanting to succeed. These tips included selecting one or two resolutions in favor of a handful. The article also encouraged choosing feasible goals and sharing them with supportive friends.
Cameron University has many tools to offer students looking for support in achieving their resolutions this year. The Aggie Rec Center provides a number of classes and equipment that can be utilized by students seeking to improve or maintain their fitness.
For students who have made financial resolutions ,the graduation planner section of the Cameron webpage offers great advice on money matters such as creating a budget and learning to save money.