Well, here we are again! We’ve arrived at that time when the calendar resets, we all write down the wrong number for a few months, and we feel inspired by the promise of a clean slate to change and begin anew.
Studies have shown that people are much more likely to engage in aspirational behaviours during significant temporal landmarks such as a new year. This “fresh start effect” is an interruption in the routine of the day-to-day monotony, which creates an opportunity to reflect on our lives from a big-picture perspective (Dai et al., 2014). These times of reflection are an essential foundation for creating meaningful change by moving away from past patterns of behaviour that are no longer serving us, and moving toward what is more aligned with our true self.
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, quoting Friedrich Nietzsche
Your “why” is the necessary foundation that meaningful change is built upon. In asking ourselves why we chose a particular resolution, we can find the ideal or value that drives our goal. Our values are like a compass; they point us in a direction, but they don’t represent a final destination (Hayes & Smith, 2005). Studies have found that taking the time to assess and understand our values improves performance when it comes to achieving our goals (Chase et al., 2013).
A common New Year’s resolution is to “lose weight” or “eat healthier.” These are rather ambiguous goals that can be difficult to know how to put into practice on a consistent basis. If we reframe these as values of physical health/well-being, we can check where we’re at in relation to those values more regularly, and then create goals that target our present circumstances more specifically. Once we have a clear view of the direction we want to go in (value), we can begin to chart the course that will move us in that direction (goal-setting).
With a clear understanding of the purpose behind our goals, we can begin to strategize how to go about achieving them. A roadblock that can come up when we start this process is choosing long-term goals that feel so far away. Because they seem unattainable and overwhelming, it’s easy to give up when we realize that progress will be slow and steady. The way we work through this obstacle is by choosing a long-term goal and then breaking it down into smaller short-term goals, giving us those motivational boosts that come with a sense of accomplishment and progress. This is where using techniques like SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely) goal-setting comes in handy. While these tools can be useful for a lot of people, an interesting cross-cultural study done in 2015 by researcher Gail Matthews broke down three steps that lead to a 33% increase in success rates compared to those who just thought about their goals (Matthews, 2015):
There’s one more piece that I think about when pondering resolutions…and that’s looking at whether it’s additive or subtractive. Put simply, is your goal creating an opportunity to take action and bring a new behaviour into your life (e.g., go to the gym 3x/week)? Or is it taking away a behaviour (e.g., stop drinking)? While both types of goals can be valuable, research has found that additive or “approach-oriented” goals are more likely to succeed compared to “avoidance-oriented” goals (Oscarsson et al., 2020). This is something I remind clients who struggle with addictive behaviours. If we just remove the behaviour that’s no longer serving us, it leaves a void in our life that can be easily filled with other unhelpful actions. It’s equally or more important to focus on the things that will replace those behaviours, enrich our lives, and move us toward being more aligned with our values.
It can be daunting to think about the ways we want to improve our lives. I know for myself it oftentimes leads to thinking about the ways I haven’t been doing so, eliciting feelings of shame and guilt. Something that helps me is to remember that the only time change happens is right now, in the present moment. Every day is a fresh slate, a new opportunity to create meaningful change in our lives. So whether you’re reading this in January or July, I hope you’ve discovered some practical tools and encouragement to create meaningful change in your life.
Rob Gleimius is a Registered Clinical Counsellor focused on trauma, substance use, men’s issues, gender and identity, relationship challenges, grief and loss, and anxiety and depression.
Rob uses a variety of techniques and theoretical frameworks, including: Mindfulness-based approaches, Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Existential and Depth psychology.
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