Many of us set New Years resolutions, few of us keep them. Gym memberships bought with the best intentions go unused. The dessert table quickly becomes our best friend again. And the staff at the wine store is recommending new arrivals to us as frequently as last year. But hundreds of academic studies on goal setting suggest 10 ways to change this disappointing pattern for the upcoming year.
If my goal is to lose 20 pounds by Sept. 1, I am tempted to decide that I dont need to start dieting and exercising on Jan. 1 and can wait until the warmer weather arrives in the spring. It is better to set sub-goals of losing five pounds by the end of every second month until my goal is reached.
Psychological research has uncovered the explanation for why the above 10 steps are so effective in motivating us to attain our New Years Resolution:
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There is a scientific basis for the acronym S.M.A.R.T. Make your resolution Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant to you, with a Time-frame. If you do, you are on your way to having a Happy New Year.
Gary Latham is the secretary of state professor of organizational effectiveness at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
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What are your New Year's resolutions and how to you plan to stick to them?
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The S.M.A.R.T. way to achieving your New Years resolutions - Toronto Star
