Almost half of all Americans make at least one resolution on New Year’s Eve. Many make several: some aspiring to meet all of their goals, while others would be satisfied to accomplish one task on their mental lists. Even if you’re the type that doesn’t usually partake in this New Year’s tradition, this is a great time of year to reflect on your ambitions and to make sure that your life is headed in the direction best suited to make your dreams a reality.
While we enjoy living in one of the world’s most prosperous nations, many of us share the same worries and concerns. 38% of all resolutions made are somehow related to weight, and 31% involve our relationships. 34% of us set annual goals about finances, and a whopping 47% of resolutions started on January 1st are about self-improvement and education.
Still, only 8% of those who make resolutions actually succeed in fulfilling them. 49% have sporadic success. One out of four people never achieve their resolutions. Interestingly, people who achieve these resolutions are reportedly no happier than those who were either unsuccessful in their goals or who did not set any in the first place. However, this doesn’t mean that having goals or making resolutions is a pointless endeavor.
Rather, this information emphasizes the idea that it is important to shift focus from the aspects of life perceived as negative, focusing instead on the elements of life that make it worth living. It means that we should look at our resolutions as incentive to improve on what already exists, not as the task of attempting to “fix” an aspect of our lives that we consider to be less than ideal.
Go ahead and make that resolution in 2013. Just remember to be gentle with yourself as you strive to meet your goals, and to find a little happiness in each and every day.
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