Did you make any New Year’s resolution this year?
40% of Americans do. But a staggering 88% fail them.
Why? The motivation jumps at the resolution’s time, but quickly dwindles to its previous level. Which is lower than the temptation, or no resolution would have had to be taken in the first place.
Two solutions are available: first, temporarily boost the motivation when needed. For instance, publicizing one’s goal is a well-known method (see ‘The Biggest Looser’). But rather than publicizing those immediately after the new year’s resolution, it’s better to wait until necessary.
The second solution is to temporarily lower the temptation, most likely by substituting something else: shopping instead of buying, chewing gum instead of smoking. Here again, the efficiency is in the timing: one must know himself well enough when the two lines are about to cross…
