About four in 10 of us make New Year’s resolutions, but only a tiny fraction actually keep them. The top pledges center around health: losing weight, eating better, exercising more or quitting a bad habit such as drinking too much or smoking. Others include getting organized, saving money, spending more time with loved ones or living life to the fullest. Research psychologist Dr. Frieda Birnbaum says often we fail to keep those promises because we make them too hard.
She says to set a time that you’ll go to the gym, don’t just promise that you’ll get to it during a busy day. She says make it a routine. For example, set a time to work out each day, and she says you’ll be more likely to stick to that resolution.
Birnbaum believes it’s more likely you’ll stick to your guns if you don’t let everyone know what you’re doing.
Birnbaum also believes people make resolutions to lose weight for the wrong reasons.
Statistics show that by the end of this month, about two thirds of those who made pledges will still be hanging in there. However, six months later that number drops to just over 40 percent.