Month: December 2016

On January 1st, the gym will be bustling with people trying to fulfill their New Year’s Resolutions. But only about 10 percent of those resolutions come to fruition.

There are many reasons that might happen. Maybe your expectations are unrealistic. It’s important to make resolutions that will challenge you, but setting unreachable goals can bog you down. For them to be attainable, make them well-defined and create a step-by-step plan for how to achieve them. Maybe you didn’t have the right mindset. Mental obstacles can play a large role in the achievement of goals. Or maybe your time management skills are insufficient, causing a lack of prioritization.

Sometimes, people don’t achieve their New Year’s Resolutions because they have impractical hopes for the ease, speed, and degree to which they can change their behavior. This might be referred to as false hope syndrome.

BUT YOU CAN SUCCEED!

Making New Year’s Resolutions stick isn’t too hard if you have a plan. Start by clearly defining your goals. If you want to read one book each week, make a list of the books you want to start with and set aside time each day when you’ll read them. Track your progress in a way that will make you feel accomplished – whether it’s checking things off a list or rewarding yourself after achieving certain aspects of your goal. Tell friends and family about the goals you set so people are checking in on you. Better yet, find someone who will be your accountability partner.

For many adults, New Year’s Resolutions are about putting an end to a bad habit – not exercising enough or eating too many sweets, for example. When setting your goals, remember it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So when you start that new goal, keep Jan. 21 in the back of your mind – if you make it until then with a new goal, you’re likely to stick with it for the long haul.

Remember to take it one step at a time. It’s not “all or nothing.” If you don’t run as far as you hoped, remember you’re lapping the people on the couch. Maybe you can’t work out for an hour, but make it 20 minutes – anything is better than nothing.

Ultimately, keep in mind that achieving goals isn’t always about willpower. Having the right skills and strategies is key to accomplishing your resolutions. But most importantly, be patient with yourself and have a wonderful new year!

Sources:

https://theconversation.com/the-psychology-of-new-years-resolutions-51847

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2016/01/03/making-new-years-resolutions-stick/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understand-other-people/201512/5-reasons-why-new-year-s-resolutions-fail

Jesus wasn’t far off when he said, “It is better to give than to receive.” Neither was Mahatma Gandhi when he said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

With the holiday season just around the corner, we can feel the spirit of giving in the air. We give gifts to our friends and family members as we celebrate the season, and sometimes we also give time to charities we’re passionate about. Both can be demanding and stressful, but studies attest to the benefits of giving.

Research has proven the health benefits – both mentally and physically – of giving to others. Studies have shown that giving promotes cooperation and social connection. And others prove that giving is contagious and provokes gratitude.

But perhaps the simplest and most effective benefit of giving is that it makes you happy.

Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton and his colleagues conducted a study in which participants predicted that spending money on themselves would make them happier than spending it on others. However, their findings proved the exact opposite – their spirits were lifted after giving money to someone else.

Similarly, happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky, conducted a study in which participants were asked to perform five acts of kindness each week for six weeks. She had similar results to Norton’s study – their happiness was lifted by doing nice things for others.

Another study conducted in 2006 by Jorge Moll and his colleagues at the National Institutes of Mental Health found that when people give to charities, it triggers regions of the brain linked to pleasure, social connections, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. Many scientists also believe philanthropic actions release endorphins, producing positive feelings often referred to as “helper’s high.”

Often, people set aside extra time to volunteer at soup kitchens or other charities during the holiday season. Studies show that this is a great idea – Americans who describe themselves as “very happy” usually volunteer around five or six hours per month. Those who are unhappy generally volunteer for less than an hour each month.

Whether spending a little bit of extra money on a nice gift for your significant other, volunteering with an organization in your town, or generously donating to a charity of your choice, the holidays are a great time to experience full joy by giving generously.

Resources:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/literally-psyched/the-psychology-behind-gift-giving-and-generosity/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-compass-pleasure/201108/is-your-brain-charitable-giving

https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/12/22/how-giving-makes-us-happy/

https://newrepublic.com/article/119477/science-generosity-why-giving-makes-you-happy

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/5_ways_giving_is_good_for_you