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Motivation
A Paradigm Shift for Lasting Change
Rethink your New Year's resolutions.
Posted December 30, 2023 Reviewed by Ray Parker
Key points
- Instead of setting resolutions like improving fitness, you can ask deeper questions about your purpose.
- Goals like weight loss can be discouraging if unmet, while values like gratitude provide continuous guidance.
- Sharing your goals may trigger an early dopamine reward, reducing your motivation to achieve them.
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, many embark on a journey of self-improvement, setting resolutions with the hope of achieving lasting change. However, the energy and excitement accompanying the turn of the year often wane, leaving many resolutions unfulfilled.
A recent survey conducted by Forbes Health/OnePoll, exploring the attitudes of 1,000 U.S. adults towards resolution-setting, sheds light on the commonality of certain goals and the average duration of resolutions, which stands at just 3.74 months.
Unveiling Common Resolutions for 2024
The survey identified prevalent themes for the coming year, with 48 percent of respondents aspiring for improved fitness, followed by 38 percent aiming for enhanced finances, and 36 percent prioritizing better mental health. Additional goals included weight loss (34 percent) and improved diet (32 percent). Despite the widespread enthusiasm for change, only 8 percent of individuals manage to uphold their resolutions for a month, highlighting the challenges in maintaining long-term commitment.
The Science of Setting Intentions
Consider resolutions as setting intentions, akin to establishing goals. Positive emotions associated with progress toward these goals are powerful motivators. However, a radical paradigm shift is proposed: keep your intentions private. Scientific research, including Peter Gollwitzer's study, Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap? reveals the detrimental impact of publicizing intentions, particularly those linked to identity (1). Paradoxically, the more committed one is to their goals, the more essential it becomes to keep them a secret.
Publicizing goals triggers an immediate dopamine reward, depleting the "feel good" reserves that sustain motivation. The admiration received from others amplifies this rush, decreasing the likelihood of future actions essential for goal implementation. Moreover, premature acknowledgment of success signals the brain to move on, hindering further pursuit of the goal. This premature dopamine hit can be devastating to our growth.
Asking Big Questions for a Purposeful Year
Rather than solely focusing on external goals, consider an internal exploration. Use the new year as an opportunity to ponder profound questions about life's purpose and meaning. Neuroimaging research indicates that individuals with a strong sense of life meaning possess efficiently connected brains, particularly in the default mode network (DMN), a system associated with self-processing and internal reflection. A heightened sense of meaning correlates with emotional resilience, lower negative emotions, reduced suicidal ideation, and stress reactivity (2,3).
Meaning and purpose in life extend beyond psychological benefits, impacting physical health. Studies show lower rates of depression and anxiety (4), increased happiness (5), and a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease (6). Embracing a strong sense of purpose is associated with a 27 percent lower risk of heart attack (7), highlighting the holistic impact of a meaningful life.
Shifting From Goals to Values
A third perspective shift suggests moving from setting goals to embracing values. Unlike goals with finite destinations, values are immortal and offer continuous guidance. Goals, such as losing weight, often lead to discouragement if unmet, prompting a return to old habits. In contrast, values like authenticity or gratitude remain constant, providing a moral compass through life's challenges.
Reflecting on personal experiences in the previous year, my guiding principles centered around authenticity and genuineness. I found fulfillment in the positive outcomes resulting from my commitment to these values. However, the events of 2023 presented significant challenges to the values I had set for myself.
The year 2023 unfolded as a period marked by constraints on freedom of speech and the testing of initiatives aimed at fostering inclusivity and diversity. Staying aligned with core values, even in adversity, fortifies one's sense of purpose, meaning, and identity. While staying true to my values has been challenged in 2023, it also has been healing for many of last year's moral injuries.
Embrace Your Chosen Value
In conclusion, as the new year unfolds, consider a radical shift in your approach to resolutions. Keep your goals private, delve into questions of life's purpose, and prioritize values over finite goals. By embracing this paradigm shift, you may find a more meaningful, purposeful, and authentic journey toward personal growth in the coming year. What will your chosen value be, guiding you through the challenges and triumphs of 2024?
The notes for this article are part of an upcoming course on The Science of Pain and Pleasure.
References
(1) Gollwitzer et. al (2009). When Intentions Go Public. Psychological Science, 20(5), 612-618.
(2) Kross, E., Ayduk, O. (2011). Making meaning out of negative experiences by self-distancing. Current Directions in Psychological Sci- ence, 20(3), 187–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411408883.
(3) Harlow, L. L., Newcomb, M. D., & Bentler, P. M. (1986). Depression, self-derogation, substance use, and suicide ideation: Lack of purpose in life as a mediational factor. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 42, 5–21.
(4) Debats, D. L., Van der Lubbe, P. M., & Wezeman, F. R. (1993). On the psychometric properties of the Life Regard Index (LRI): A measure of meaningful life: An evaluation in three independent samples based on the Dutch version. Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 337–345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(93)90132-M.
(5) Chamberlain, K., & Zika, S. (1988). Measuring meaning in life: An examination of three scales. Personality and Individual Differences, 9, 589–596. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(88)90157-2.
(6) Boyle, P., Buchman, A., Barnes, L. and Bennett, D. (2010). Effect of a Purpose in Life on Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Persons. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 304-310.
(7) Kim, E. Sun, J., Park, N. et al. (2013). Purpose in Life and Reduced Risk of Myocardial Infarction Among Older US Adults with Coronary Heart Disease: A Two Year Followup. J Behav Med., 36, 124-133.
