Don’t bother with resolutions

Cindy Shebley / CC

A study by some psychologists in the UK found that nine out of ten New Year’s resolutions are doomed to failure. The (University of Hertfordshire) study followed the attempts of 3,000 volunteers to stick to their resolutions. At the start of the year, 52 percent said they were confident of success. But by the end of the year, only 12 percent had achieved their goal. Men were more likely to succeed when they set themselves goals, such as losing a pound each week, or when they focused on the rewards, such as being more attractive to women. Women were more successful if they told their friends and family about their resolution and if they were encouraged not to give up just because they had slipped back into old habits.