Are ‘new year’s resolutions’ any use?
By Fleur
@Fleura (34927)
United Kingdom
November 7, 2022 5:26am CST
Do you ever make a new year’s resolution, and do you stick to it?
I know many people resolve to start a new year on a good footing and then generally fall by the wayside by February – or even by January 3rd!
The key to success apparently is to choose some determinable goal rather than something vague, so for example to resolve to ‘go for a walk every day’ rather than just ‘get more exercise’.
Of course plenty of people think any resolution is a waste of time and you should just do the thing if you want to.
I was just reminded of this in conversation with @allknowing.
One year I made a new year’s resolution to eat an apple every day. Apples have lots of health benefits (in addition to the general advice to eat more fruits and vegetables) so I knew it would be a good idea. But somehow I find it hard to just go and pick up an apple, even though I don’t dislike them, in fact I quite like them really.
So I made my new year’s resolution and as a result I actually did it! I steadfastly made sure I ate my apple every single day for the whole year. In fact I did it again the next year too!
My partner laughed at me and thought the resolution part was unnecessary. But the strange thing is that since I didn’t renew my resolution in 2022, I haven’t kept up the habit either. It’s over a week now since I last ate an apple.
Do resolutions work for you?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.
12 people like this
12 responses
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
7 Nov 22
I don't make resolutions so don't know if they work or not. But just because you mentioned it, I resolve to eat an apple right now. 
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
7 Nov 22
@Fleura I ate the whooole thing.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
7 Nov 22
Oh gosh, I stopped making resolutions years ago . . . I never stuck to them 
. Instead I say I will continue on with what I need to do and go from there. I have thought about an apple a day many times too . . . I still think it's good to do, but I found that eating a quarter of an apple a day would be fine . . . and then I just got bored and moved on to other fruits 
.
. Instead I say I will continue on with what I need to do and go from there. I have thought about an apple a day many times too . . . I still think it's good to do, but I found that eating a quarter of an apple a day would be fine . . . and then I just got bored and moved on to other fruits .2 people like this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
7 Nov 22
It worked for me, I think I will have to do it again. I have just managed to eat half the apple in the picture but that's the first since a week last Saturday as far as I can remember.
I do eat other fruits; today I've had a pear, a banana and some prunes and dried apricots so far, and will be making a mango and kiwi smoothie at dinner time as well as finishing off the redcurrant tart. So I'm not short of fruit!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
7 Nov 22
Thanks for that mention.
I do not make resolutions but I stick to what I have decided to do.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
8 Nov 22
@Fleura But I do not wait for the New Year - any time is good enough to take decisions
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
8 Nov 22
@allknowing I know, I've tried 'new month resolutions' but for some reason I find those much harder to stick to!
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
7 Nov 22
I don't make resolutions for New Year... I keep them longer than January 3rd, but usually stop around the end of February, so I stopped making them.
2 people like this
@popciclecold (40215)
• United States
7 Nov 22
I don't make any, but good you did it with the apple.
1 person likes this
@Archie0 (5654)
•
9 Nov 22
Resolutions hardly work for me. I cannot carry the resolution for the rest of my year. This year I had started a resolution but I sure did follow 2 out of these. But I haven’t lost any weight even when that was a resolution on top list. It’s always been on top since decades 
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
9 Nov 22
It's too vague! 'Lose weight' - what does that mean exactly, how much, and how to do it, and over what time-scale? Try something more specific like 'go for a 15 minute walk every day' or 'eat five portions of vegetables every day' or 'fast for one half-day per week' and if you can stick to something like that the weight loss might just happen!
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Nov 22
I'm sure resolutions would work for me if I could just remember what they were! By February, I've forgotten them. But even if you only keep them up for a short while, it's a good thing. At least you've put some thought into what would be a good thing to 'resolve'. I'm sure you know but SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, meaningful, attainable and relevant - all things that a good goal should have. Note there is no 'F' for 'forgettable'! 
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
9 Nov 22
I never made a New Year's resolution myself. Guess some people enjoy the tradition of it just like kissing when the ball drops.
For me, I don't like to have to feel committed to doing the same thing over and over on a regular basis, unless it's something I really enjoy doing. Although the idea is to improve in the New Year, with resolutions, I believe it might become a chore after a time. It would be interesting to know how long people stick with them.
