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By Lauren Bray, edhat staff
It’s that time of year when people vow to exercise more, eat healthier, abstain from television and replace it with national bestselling books, travel to faraway lands, and enjoy quality time with loved ones. But how realistic are these goals, especially when most people are going from zero to 100?
Perhaps they never used to go to the gym and now the expectation is to go 5 times a week. Or maybe their job and family commitments prevent them from seeing four new countries this year.
Ultimately the idea behind the lofty goal setting is to achieve deeper meaning, richness, and happiness in our lives. To be the best version of yourself that you can be.
“If [people] actually are able to set short-term goals that they can achieve… in the end they’ll end up achieving a lot of the same goals over time,” said University of Pittsburgh Medical Center psychiatrist Vint Blackburn in an interview with WESA.
The obvious appears to be clear, make smaller for attainable goals to achieve greater success and less discouragement. An easy example that Blackburn suggested was not to go “cold turkey” on smoking, that is, don’t stop all of a sudden.
“While [completely stopping smoking is] very much an admirable goal, even if somebody were to cut down by half, that a huge improvement in health,” he said. “Ideally, we would want them to quit. But if they can successfully cut back for several months, they’re already on their way to quitting.”
However, the same types of goals seem to repeat themselves every New Year.
A 2015 Neilson Survey found the following as the 10 most popular New Year’s resolutions among US consumers.
- Stay fit and healthy — 37 percent
- Lose weight — 32 percent
- Enjoy life to the fullest — 28 percent
- Spend less, save more — 25 percent
- Spend more time with family and friends — 19 percent
- Get organized — 18 percent
- Will not make any resolutions — 16 percent
- Learn something new/new hobby — 14 percent
- Travel more — 14 percent
- Read more — 12 percent
How do edhat readers feel about resolutions and which ones will they make? Take our poll below and share your thoughts in the comment section.
I resolve to reduce my carbon footprint and to STOP USING PLASTIC. I’ve already been a vegetarian for most of my life, so eating more VEGAN food will be topping my list for 2020. Stay healthy, happy and responsible.
My resolution is hopefully seeing a new President elected on Nov.3.
Good luck with that one. You’ll need it.
My edhat resolution this new year is to be more open minded regarding JQB and macpuzl ideas and posts
Save the planet from further environmental damage as best I am able. Personally and through expressed thoughts to others.
I resolve myself to… RIDE A WHOLE LOT MORE!!!! National Park System, here I come! Happy 2020 everyone! Here’s to another revolution of our insignificant planet around our insignificant star in our mundane and rather unremarkable galaxy… 🙂
Is that for you or others, 0104 at 3:03?