|
|
Have you managed to break your New Year’s resolutions yet? Year after year I make the same well-intentioned commitments, only to have them fall by the wayside within a week or two. One might occasionally last a month.
I’ve resolved to read a half hour every afternoon, limit sweets to weekends, keep a daily journal, fast one day a week, write an hour every day, reconnect with a different friend each week—oh, so many exemplary aspirations.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Where did this resolution business come from?
According to History.com, the ancient Babylonians held New Year celebrations (in March), where they reaffirmed their loyalty to their king and made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any items they had borrowed. That was over 4000 years ago. Apparently, this has become an ingrained habit.
We all want to do better, and I guess New Year’s resolutions are a way to improve our behaviors.
Personal improvement never occurred to me until eighth grade, when my friend Randi Cross suggested we adopt a Self-Improvement Plan (SIP). Be better than we were already? Well, why not? We huddled to formulate improved study skills, design more attractive hairdos, plan coordinated outfits, and scheme ways to get Bill Gallea and David Mersky to notice us. I don’t recall that our SIP lasted, but at least we tried. (I did end up dating Bill in high school.)
As a teacher, I’ve used behavior modification to focus students on desired behaviors, most often succeeding when I used rewards rather than punishments. Surprisingly, high school students respond to candy rewards, while in Istanbul they preferred bonus points. (Turkish students are obsessed with grades.)
We discussed rewards in Weight Watchers, too. When I was a leader we often brainstormed rewards for meeting weight loss goals like drinking eight glasses of water a day, keeping a food journal, and exercising regularly. A bubble bath, a new outfit, or a special outing were favorites—NEVER food.
About six years ago I enlisted this system for myself. I’d been waking up with a stiff back every morning and decided a ten-minute exercise regime might help. I compiled a simple routine of stretches, crunches, and planks, but many mornings I didn’t get to it. What I needed was a reward, and I decided on my favorite morning indulgence— COFFEE! I denied myself that first cup of steaming coffee (my reward) until I’d completed my exercise regimen (desired behavior.)
It worked! I can count on one hand the times I’ve missed my morning exercises in the past six years, and I’ve always had a compelling excuse (sick in bed, on an airplane, camping in the rain, etc.) My coffee reward is the key.
If only I could be as successful with this year’s resolution. Actually, I haven’t decided on one yet, much less an appropriate reward. Maybe I’ll just stick with my morning exercises.
Leave a Reply