New Year’s Resolutions

If you are like many nearly half of the American population, you may be considering one or several New Year’s resolutions. I know I have done these countless years; however, an article by Richard Batts from The Ohio State University says that only 9% of Americans that make a New Year’s resolution complete them. Research goes on to show that 23% of people quit their resolution by the end of the first week and 43% quite by the end of January. Batts summarizes why people seem to fail with these resolutions and provides strategies to make you successful in achieving goals.

• The most meaningful goals begin when something needs to change—or when you recognize that it should. Many resolutions are made simply because the calendar turns, not because there is a real purpose behind them. Goals, however, are rooted in a clear picture of the future you want to create. When a goal is set out of necessity or intention rather than habit, motivation tends to be stronger and more sustainable.
• Challenges are part of the process. Even the simplest goal can encounter unexpected roadblocks. Maintaining a positive mindset means anticipating those hurdles ahead of time and thinking through ways to work around them. Planning for obstacles reduces frustration and lowers the risk of giving up when things don’t go perfectly.
• Break big goals into smaller, demanding, and measurable steps. Research shows that people are more driven when goals stretch them just enough to feel challenging. Tracking progress with measurable benchmarks helps you see how far you’ve come and provides encouragement along the way. Reaching these milestones also creates opportunities to celebrate small successes, which builds momentum and keeps you moving forward.
• Accountability plays a powerful role in follow-through. People who write down their goals and share responsibility for them are far more likely to succeed. Accountability means allowing someone—or something—to help keep you on track. This can be as simple as telling a friend, joining an accountability group, using digital tools to track milestones, or working with a coach. Having that external check-in can make all the difference.

Extension’s Help with Resolutions

If you need educational resources or materials on nearly any subject, Extension has resources that can help! Whether it is information on a website, talking with an extension professional, utilizing an app from your smart phone, attending a face-to-face program, participation in a webinar or many other avenues, Extension works to solve complex problems for clients. If you haven’t been to Extension’s website recently, I encourage you to go to extension.unl.edu. There you will find an abundance of resources on topics such as food, nutrition and health, cropping & water systems, community vitality, gardening, early childhood education, livestock systems and 4-H youth development. Consider attending a program or utilizing a resource to help you achieve a resolution or goal you may have.

For a list of extension programs in the area, visit our websites at fillmore.unl.edu or clay.unl.edu or call your local extension office.