It’s a new year. 2023 is now underway. With the new year often comes the dreaded question: “What New Year’s resolutions have you made?” Signed up with the gym to get fitter? Work more sensible hours to spend more time with your family? Do something you really think you should do? Despite the clamour to find something to improve about life in 2023, it may sometimes be best if no resolutions were made at all.
I do not say that in order to discourage you to improve your life. Quite the contrary – I’d actually encourage and support anyone who has made a plan to improve their life in the coming year. I say that because I want you to question whether, despite your best intentions at making your New Year’s resolutions, whether you are actually ready for the change.
Originally developed by psychologist James Prochaska with further development by psychologists Carlo DiClemente, John Norcross, and many others, there is a theory of the ‘stages of change’. The five stages are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The precontemplation stage is where you are simply not ready to change, or you do not recognise what the problem is. Contemplation is where you may be intending a change in your behaviour, although you may not be committed enough to start planning the change. Preparation is the stage where you are actually starting to put together a plan for change.
Many people who make New Year’s resolutions may be in the contemplation stage, where they recognise they may want to change, but may not have committed to the change or started making a formal plan of action to implement the change. Ask yourself honestly – in making a New Year’s resolution, are you merely in the contemplation stage, and find yourself going with the flow in making a New Year’s resolution simply because it might be the vogue? Simply because everyone else seems to be making one?
The problem with making resolutions when you are not ready to make the change is that it may result in failing to meet the resolution, and causing stress and self-doubt. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, I realised that I was not very happy with my last job, and started feeling that I needed to quit for the sake of my own wellbeing. I had looked at other colleagues leaving at around the same time and took that as a sign that I should also leave. I started applying for jobs and attending interviews. I received an offer for a job which I thought to accept, but as the deadline for acceptance neared, I started feeling even more stressed than before. I did not accept the offer in the end because I had started feeling so stressed about the new job! Looking back, I was probably only in the contemplation stage of change at that point in time, and had not actually worked out a proper sustainable plan as to what I wanted to do after quitting.
Another risk of making a change before the preparation stage is that even if you wanted to change, and felt ready for the change, you may end up setting too ambitious a goal for yourself. Missing your target can also risk causing additional stress and self-doubt as you fail to attain your goal.
Whilst the idea of starting a new year as you mean to go on makes for a great sound bite which is great for conversation and commercial marketing, it may not necessarily translate into reality. A paper published in 1988 in the Journal of Substance Abuse reported that 23 per cent of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions after only one week, whilst only 19 per cent were able to maintain their self-change goals for two years. According to the International Health, Racquet, & Sportsclub Association, more than 12 per cent of new members to gyms join in January. Forbes reported in December 2021 that 80 per cent of New Year’s resolutions fail by the beginning of February.
Making a lifestyle change does not depend on an arbitrary date, such as New Year’s Day, or a birthday, or an anniversary, or [pick any other memorable date for you]. It depends on your willingness to change, and how well you have planned your change and your goals.
Albert Einstein once said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” Allow me to amend his quote slightly: “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change at the right time and by the right amount.”
A large number are flocking to the Eat News for quality news every day, and readers in Taiwan, United States, United Kingdom, India, Japan, France, Pakistan, China, Malaysia and more, now support us financially.
In these chaotic, perilous times, an independent, truth-seeking news organisation like the Eat News is essential. We believe everyone deserves access to trustworthy information. That’s why we choose to keep our reporting open for all readers, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.
The Eat News has no shareholders or billionaire owner, meaning our journalism is free from influence and vested interests – this makes us different. Our editorial independence and autonomy allows us to provide fearless investigations and analysis of those with political and commercial power. We can give a voice to the oppressed and neglected, and help bring about a brighter, fairer future.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. You have the power to support us through these volatile economic times and enable our journalism to reach more people, in all countries.
Every contribution, however big or small, makes a difference. Support the Eat News for better reporting.
Support the Eat News ➔
