http://www.pbase.com/csw62/image/51957207
So, it’s about half way through January. Who has kept their New Year’s resolution so far?
According to a study from the Psychology Department at the University of Scranton, only 75% of people maintained their resolution through the first week of January last year. What happened to the 25% who couldn’t even make it through a week?!
The percentage of people who maintained their resolution dropped to 64% by February, and further plummeted to 46% half way through the year. Only 8% of people surveyed were actually successful in achieving their new year’s resolution.
That’s encouraging!
Reading these numbers helped me to see that I may need some checkpoints along the way. What if I create smaller goals for myself each month? What if I start small in January, and work my way up towards a bigger goal by December? This might make it less overwhelming, and I might have a chance of landing in the 8% who succeed as 2013 comes to an end.
Every afternoon, I ask my students to reflect on their day—what they did well, what they could try to improve for the next day. As a teacher, I realize that students need lots of checkpoints to achieve a trimester goal.
If I know that this is what is best for my students, I should use that same thought when it comes to my own goals. I will begin to give myself an opportunity to feel good about each day that passes– or to reflect on what I can do better the next day.
Learner, Thinker, Writer: Kathy Bruyn teaches Second Grade at Trinity School.
Today, you can feel good about the steps you have created for students and the steps of your goals. Having grace for ourselves along the way – that is often the toughest part. Thanks for sharing with us.
At this time of year, I always think about lofty goals and the end results of my newest missions. Rarely do I consider what comes between setting the goals and the (surely fabulous) end results. This year, I decided to slow down. I decided to reserve some time for a mindset shift before I set any major goals and timelines. It’s only been a few weeks, but I’m happier and feeling more successful. I love your idea to feel good about each day or reflect on what to do better. Thanks for the validation and reminder!
Love your post about simplicity! Thanks, Jack, for sharing that cool video too.
It’s so funny. We ask our students to reflect all the time, but how often do we really do it ourselves? Thanks for the reminder. I needed it!