With the new year, many people traditionally make resolutions to fulfill. Óscar Asorey, coordinator of ISEP’s Master’s in Clinical and Health Psychology and director of ISEP Clínic Reus and Tarragona, states that “making New Year’s resolutions is a way to orient ourselves positively, to create a life project, which usually involves small things (doing sports, taking a course in…, traveling, etc.) and generates greater motivation to start the year with enthusiasm.” But what happens if they are not fulfilled? Asorey comments that most of these proposals have already been made on previous occasions and not all of them have been successfully completed. However, “if we generate very high expectations about the new year, frustration and disappointment can appear.”
Generally, the proposals we make for the new year are not essential matters, but rather complement the daily activity we already started the previous year. To avoid reaching that state of frustration, it is recommended to follow three tips:
- Plan activities that are possible within your availability (schedules, finances, etc.).
- Ensure they are short and medium-term proposals (they are easier to achieve).
- Ensure these activities are, by themselves and for the person, attractive, interesting, and motivating.