Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions, but many don’t keep them for long. Kelly Hagan, a psychologist in the Lexington area, says about 23 percent of folks quit them by the end of the first week and 40 percent by the end of the month. She said the “fresh start effect” leads people to pursue aspirational goals after a big landmark, such as a new year.
“You know, with that in mind, it helps to create a new mental period of time that helps us tend to put our imperfections in the past, or things that we didn't feel really good about, perhaps how we behaved, or something that occurred in our life.”
Hagan, who’s also a psychology professor at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, said the reason most resolutions quickly go by the wayside has to do with the motivation for them and the type many people make. She suggested “smart” goals.
“Smart goals actually stands for several different words, things like when you're creating a goal that's specific, that's measurable, that's achievable, relevant and time bound. Those five different steps, it kind of helps you contain the goal and find a way to be successful at it.”
Hagan said one example is the popular goal of losing weight – that instead of pledging to never eat just before bedtime, someone could resolve to not do so twice a week.
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