2013 is off to a
great start and many (about half) of us have made a New Year’s Resolution.
Unfortunately, according to researcher and psychologist Richard Wiseman, 88% of
us will fail. We all start with the best intentions, so why is it that so many
of us end up disappointed? Let’s take a look at the science
behind resolutions and find out what it will take to be one of the 12% who keep
them!
Willpower and Your
Brain:
There is one thing you will absolutely require to keep
your resolution: WILLPOWER! Your brain processes willpower in your pre-frontal
cortex (right behind your forehead). This area is also responsible for allowing
you to stay focused, handling short-term memory and solving abstract tasks. An
experiment out of Stanford University was performed to study how this area of
the brain responds to temptation when having to do a challenging or a
non-challenging task:
A group of undergraduate students were divided into 2 groups. One group was given a 2-digit number to remember. The other was given a 7-digit number to remember. Then, after a short walk through the hall, they were offered the choice between two snacks: a slice of chocolate cake or a bowl of fruit. What's most surprising: The students with 7-digit numbers to remember were twice as likely to pick the slice of chocolate cake, compared to the students with the 2-digit numbers to remember.
Why does this happen? Professor Shiv, one of the lead researchers on this experiment, says that "those extra numbers took up valuable space in the brain - they were a 'cognitive load' - making it much harder to resist a decadent dessert". Therefore, the more focused your pre-frontal cortex is on a single task, the easier it is to train your willpower.
A group of undergraduate students were divided into 2 groups. One group was given a 2-digit number to remember. The other was given a 7-digit number to remember. Then, after a short walk through the hall, they were offered the choice between two snacks: a slice of chocolate cake or a bowl of fruit. What's most surprising: The students with 7-digit numbers to remember were twice as likely to pick the slice of chocolate cake, compared to the students with the 2-digit numbers to remember.
Why does this happen? Professor Shiv, one of the lead researchers on this experiment, says that "those extra numbers took up valuable space in the brain - they were a 'cognitive load' - making it much harder to resist a decadent dessert". Therefore, the more focused your pre-frontal cortex is on a single task, the easier it is to train your willpower.
Did you see that word I used? TRAIN! Willpower and your brain are like any other muscle in your body and they require training!
The Top 3 New Year’s
Resolutions:
1. Lose
Weight
2. Quit
Smoking
3. Eat
Healthier
Pretty abstract ideas, right?
If you want your resolution to stick, you need to think
less in terms of ideals and more in terms of HABITS. For example, if you want
to lose weight, change your resolution to “I will take the stairs up to my 9th
floor apartment every day after work”. If you want to eat healthier, try “I
will eat a piece of fruit with every meal” instead.
You get the idea – these ‘habits’ are manageable and defined – it is this
strategy that those 12% of resolution-keeper’s employ to keep them on track.
The 3 Steps to
Success:
1. Pick
only ONE resolution
Just like the Stanford
University study explained, trying to focus on more than one New Year’s
resolution can lead to a cognitive overload, which can be very difficult for
your brain to handle. Pick the one that is most important to you, otherwise you
may default to the “chocolate cake” whenever you have a choice!
2. Tell
others and put it in writing
In 2007, Evans performed a
study that found a very strong correlation between increased social support and
lowering blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol hormone levels. I can hear you now: “What does this have to do with my resolution!?”
It has been shown that the
people around you can have a significant impact on your behavior. If you tell your
close friends, family, coworkers about a new habit you are creating for
yourself, you will be much more likely to stick to it.
Putting things in writing also
increase your likelihood of success. Write down your goals and read them often.
Not only will it help with sticking to your new habits, but research has also shown
that writing down your goals increases overall happiness. Give it a try!
3. Believe
in yourself
In a study out of Scranton
University in 2002, a remarkable discovery was made: People who really want to succeed are no more likely to
stick to a New Year’s resolution than anyone else! Even an overwhelming desire
to change just wasn't enough to enforce a meaningful and long-lasting habit.
However, it was shown that those who kept their resolutions shared certain
habits. They:
-Believed that they were able
to change
-Believed it was possible to
keep the change for a long period of time
-Tried to stay as positive as
possible
-Avoided temptations and
distractions
-Encouraged themselves when
they made progress in the right direction
Compare these behaviors to those
who gave up on their resolution in the first month. These resolution-quitters:
-Blamed themselves any time
they fell off-course
-Spent time wishing things
were different
-Kept asking themselves how
they were feeling
A little bit of willpower and positivity can make you one
of the successful 12%!
Do you have a New Year’s resolution? What habits will you
change in 2013?
