Why I won’t be making a New Year’s resolution this year.

I am sure that we are all looking forward to 2021 after the roller coaster of a year we have had. The majority of my past New Years resolutions were centered on healthy eating. I exercise regularly, but my day to day eating was a whole different story. This was the most difficult aspect of my life to change. Each year, I would tell myself “okay time to start eating healthier, this is the year!” I would go to the grocery store, buy food that was considered healthier and food that was marketed as such but in reality wasn’t. I did not enjoy eating raw fruits and vegetables, but I did it all in the name of health. Eventually, this would lead to a spiral of eating all of the foods I thought were “bad.” This cycle repeated until I eventually gave up, with feelings of immense guilt for not adhering to my resolution. In reality, healthy eating is just one part of a healthy lifestyle, but in my mind, year after year, it was my end all be all. Thankfully, for the first time in a long time, eating healthier won’t be a New Years resolution for me. Healthy eating is important, but I realize now that is is a life long, imperfect, work in progress.

On that note, a Swedish study by Oscarsson et al published in December 2020 investigated the types of resolutions people made (approach-oriented versus avoidance-oriented), whether these resolutions were successful, and examined whether or not it is possible to increase the likelihood of success by providing information and exercises on effective goal setting.

What are approach versus avoidance oriented goals? Approach-oriented goals are driven by a wish to achieve a desirable result (good grades, feelings of competence, “I will try to get a good grade”). Avoidance-oriented goals are driven by the wish to avoid an aversive situation or undesired consequence (punishment, threat, or failure, “I will try to avoid getting a bad grade”).

A total of 1066 participants were randomized (divided) into the following three groups which varied with the degree of support that was given and they were followed for 12 months.

1. No support (control group): Participants in this group were given brief general information about New Years resolutions, reported their own resolutions, and completed three follow ups during the study period.