Stand-Up Strategy

Did you make a new year´s resolution?

If you did, you are likely not alone.

Also if you are not able to follow it through, you are definitely not alone either.

62% of Americans make new year´s resolutions, but only 8% are able to fulfill them.

The biggest reason for that is that people are trying to make too big lifestyle change at the same time. You try to quit smoking, lose weight, start exercise, save more money and at the same time live your life to the fullest. No wonder, that you are feeling overwhelmed. One of the goals could be achievable but achieving all of them at the same time would be quite impossible feat.

Willpower is muscle.

Like muscle, it gets tired. In experiments, straight after accomplishing a task that requires people to restrain their impulses (i.e. saying no to chocolate biscuits), students were far more likely to underperform at other willpower-related jobs (i.e. solving a puzzle). So if you ha

Like muscle, you can also train it. In one study, students were asked to watch their posture for a week. At the end of the week, those students performed better on self-control tasks (not related to posture) than students who had not been exercising control all week. That is why people who are able to maintain regular sports regime, are also able to achieve more during their workday (this is just anecdotal experience with myself).

So for this New Year, I will not promise to quit smoking (mainly because I would need to start it to be able to do that) or anything of that sorts. Instead I will recognize the moments that are draining my willpower and keep training the willpower muscle.

Plus I will take better care of my shoes and eat more soups.