Every year, people make vows to stop or do certain things but in most cases, they end up breaking them within a week after making New Year resolutions as SAMSON BENJAMIN observes in this report
How realistic are new year resolutions ?
Precisely, no one can trace its origins but the concept of new year resolutions is almost universal.
On or before a new year, people make several vows to themselves either to achieve certain goals, quit some negative habits or embrace positive ones in order to enhance the quality of their lives or improve their general well being. Usually, such resolutions may include quitting smoking or alcoholic drinks, achieving a set target or pursue a dream or whim in the new year.
In Nigeria, it always comes with loads of excitement, anticipation and optimism. There is no standard definition of a new year resolution but Mr Yakubu Haruna, a psychologist defines them as ‘’goals you want to accomplish over a short period of time (short-term goals) or goals you want to accomplish over a year or many years (long-term goals)”. Significantly, this definition is not all embracing because a new year resolution may be a decision that may be taken to last forever. However, the question is, why do people wait until the end of the year before making resolutions? In fact, results from unverified statistics show that about 65% of new year resolutions are made between December 28th and January 1st.
Why end of year?
A motivational speaker, Mr Sangaya Ibrahim says “people make resolutions at the end of the year in an effort to motivate themselves. The new year stands before us like a fresh chapter in a book. Once you are done with your year-end reflection for the year that is ending, it is natural to look forward to the year that is about to start”.
Similarly, Mrs Saratu Yohana, a clinical psychologist added that “people make resolutions at the end of the year because they can benefit from the advantages that come with sharing those resolutions with others and then feeling obliged to at least try to meet them. But, in reality, new year resolutions are notoriously difficult to follow”.
What kind of resolutions do people make? As mentioned earlier, resolutions can come in many forms and the vows cover different aspects of life, including the physical, emotional and spiritual.
Some people make resolutions to change a bad habit, such as quitting smoking, stopping gambling or eating less in order to keep a trim figure. Other people make a promise to develop a positive habit, such as starting an exercise programme , praying more, reading more and similar life enhancing endeavours.
An artiste, Malam Adamu Mairiga, says that resolutions are good and that he makes them yearly. According to him, “I sit down to check my progress, my failures and then look for ways to improve or change some things. Although, it is not easy to make a resolution and abide by it but specific goals can make a difference.’’
In the same vein, Ishaku Dantani, a young entrepreneur who lives and works in Abuja says “I prefer calling them goals as opposed to resolutions because I have found that falling short of a resolution early into the year makes it easy to walk away from it.
But overall goals can still be reached even if you fall short on occasion. I like to keep my goals simple so this year, my goals are; to spend less on things I could really live without and prioritize my expenses. To do more as regards my work and make what l do much more relevant. Improve myself mentally by taking up a course or two on something new. Of course there are additions like: reading more, writing more, networking more, etc.’’
Also, an undergraduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Miss Victoria Auta, says that she want to be more serious with her studies. “I have not really made good grades, so I want to study very hard. I will read when I go back to school no matter the situation on the campus. I am determined to really read this time around. I want to also start planning for what to do after graduation because there are no jobs in the country,’’ she continued.
Why are resolutions broken as soon as they are made?
By the time you are reading this report, many people have broken their new year resolutions, just about six days after they are made.
A study conducted in the United States of America by Statistic Brain Research Institute found that last year, only 9.2 percent of people felt that they had successfully kept their new year resolutions. Even more disappointing is the 42.2 percent of people who say they failed in achieving their resolution every single year. If the same research is replicated in Nigeria, there is a possibility of arriving at the same percentage or even higher.
Dr. Hassan Baba of the department of psychology, Nasarawa State University, describes new year resolutions as mere procrastination.
“Procrastination is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to achieving any kind of goals—yet we all insist on waiting until January to completely reinvent ourselves. Waiting until the start of the new year to tackle a resolution is the very definition of procrastination and it puts you on a sure path to failure.”
“People often hold off on a task because they don’t feel equipped to handle it and believe they will be more emotionally equipped in the future—but that is not true. Waiting until January 1st only delays working through any challenges you need to face. By starting today, you can put an end to procrastination and the stress that comes with it”, he counseled.
Similarly, Mrs Monsurat Abdulganiyu, a psychotherapist said that “studies have shown that despite our best efforts, a quarter of resolutions will be abandoned by the end of the first week of the New Year”.
According to her, ” if you are serious about sticking to a goal in the new year, start as soon as you can. Don’t wait for 1st January. Waiting till january is a form of culturally-prescribed procrastination, which means we feel good by describing our intended resolutions to whoever asks, but find it difficult to actually complete them in the new year”.
She reiterated that ‘’new year’s resolutions are notoriously difficult to follow. we often choose the most unrealistic goals as resolutions under the false assumption that we can just be a completely different person in the new year”.
Consequently, Mrs Rose Apeh, a business woman said that because she hardly kept her resolutions, she has decided to stop making them in the past three years now.
“I quit making resolutions but I still change the things I want to change within me. What I observe is that people change the things they want at their own pace, not this yearly pledge of change of attitude or behavior.’’
Similarly, Mr Attach Uwah who is a civil servant, observed that “human beings can change easily; so, why should I wait for every year to make a vow that will keep me going. I appraise myself always because it is necessary to do so. Resolutions are not the way forward for me,’’
On his part, Sociologist Nanle Miller concluded that “it is unfortunate that people make resolutions that do not often correspond to the amount of speed and ease of change that is feasible. They want a full transformation quickly and easily, which is unrealistic and therefore counterproductive.” Miller advised that “in order to create new patterns of behavior, you must be mentally committed and consistent for at least 21 days.
By making changes early, you will create new habits before the new year begins. So instead of struggling to reinvent your entire life—sleeping habits, diet, fitness routine, etc.—all on January 1st, pick one habit that is the most important to you and start immediately.
For example, If your resolution is to adopt a healthy eating plan, maybe you should start with drinking enough water each day for the next 21 days. Stick with it, and by January, you would have imbibe one habit. As a result you will be motivated and be much more prepared to tackle whatever else is on your resolution list”. He also advise Nigerians ” to set realistic resolutions this year, and to expect gradual changes rather than a major transformation”.
Well, as new year resolutions go, there is a high mortality rate of even the realistic ones and the high ‘’death toll’’ is across gender, nationalities and religions.
