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New Year's resolutions difficult to keep

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The New Year is when we make plans to change our life for the better over the next twelve months. A psychiatry professor said: "January 1 is a 'magical' date and a vow made on this day is much more powerful than one made on August 26, for example." Unfortunately, most of our promises to quit, start or change things are, more often than not, broken by January 31st. They are usually identical to resolutions that were not fulfilled from the previous years. People tend to make the same resolutions year after year, even though they have a hard time keeping them.

Around 45 per cent of us make a New Year’s resolution. The most common ones are to lose weight, volunteer to help others, quit smoking, save money, and get fit. Others include eating healthier food, drinking less alcohol, and going on trips. Research shows that most of us do not stick to these. A study found that 71 per cent of us stick to our promises for the first two weeks, but six months later, less than 50 per cent are on track. Most people give up because they have a lack of willpower. They also use the 'escape clause' that they will 'try again next year'.