MADISON, Wis. — A recent survey found most people have good intentions, but fail to keep their New Year’s resolution.
The average person who responded in the polls said they stuck to it for 36 days. Many people want to improve their wellness, but it feels it’s next to impossible to stay consistent.
UW Health’s Distinguished Psychologist Dr. Shilagh Mirgain joined News 3 Now to discuss how to make your goals stick.
What are the main reasons that people fail with their New Year’s goals?
Mirgain: Well, we can be overly ambitious at the start of the New Year. We can set huge goals that are unrealistic. For some people, they don’t have the support structure in place, so they just don’t have that system to really make that commitment to what they’re working towards. So it’s so important … I think this time of year especially in the midst of this pandemic, with the new variant, where many people are feeling a sense of discontent and a disconnect from their lives, to use this as time to set some goals, to really charter a course in 2022.
Are you a proponent of a vision board, a vision statement?
Mirgain: Funny you should ask that. I actually over the weekend created my vision board for the new year and I think that can really be a nice anchor to direct us during this upcoming year. I think that when we’re creating that kind of vision statement, first reflect on the past year. Think about what you want to bring into 2022 and what you want to leave behind, and in particular, reflect on what brings you a sense of joy and fulfillment and makes you a healthier you. You can write it out. Picturing yourself a year from now, a day in the life, a year from now what you’d be doing, who you’d be around, what you’d be surrounded with, what you would experience in your body, or your health, or your emotions, or your spirit, or you could even pick a word that captures that essence. Or in my case, I actually did some photographs and phrases that I put on poster board that I can see regularly.
For you personally, 2022 is going to be a very special year.
Mirgain: It is. I am very excited to announce that I’m having a baby. I’ve been working towards this for over three years and I think it’s really a sense of hope for parents that are … would be parents that are struggling with fertility. I had 13 medical procedures and five attempts and a year ago I was pregnant and lost that baby so I’m happy to report I’m 34 weeks along … so the due date’s just around the corner in February. For me, my intention is to be the best parent I can be and I think, you know, there’s a sense of hope that if we keep working towards these goals, if we don’t give up, we have visual reminders for what we’re going for. I recently was gifted my vision statement which is around being steady and peace with joy and love … a little bracelet that I can wear in those trying moments of new motherhood to remind me. My hope is that, you know, parents out there that, or people that are struggling out there to become parents, that they keep that goal and knowing that many things are possible. There are a lot of fertility treatments out there for people. We sometimes don’t know what’s available.
Do you know what you’re having?
Mirgain: I don’t. It’s going to be a big surprise so we’ll find out in February what this little one is.
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