1. It is difficult to break away from old habits. The human brain is conditioned by the things we always do. To succeed in a resolution requires change in lifestyle. Psychologists say half of the people do not succeed because they were unwilling to change.
2. Willpower is the key to change. It is the energy that powers long term success in resolutions. The prefrontal cortex of the human brain deals with willpower. It is responsible for staying on focus, short term memories and solving abstract problems. Experiments conclude that the more activities happen inside the brain, the more it can generate willpower to accomplish goals.
3. General statements are huge, vague and unattainable. Resolutions like “I will lose weight” should be broken down into smaller, more specific and more attainable goals. To set a weekly goal with regular weekly monitoring would be a better resolution.
4. Making the New Year’s resolution on the first week of January isn’t very healthy. After the rigors of the holidays, most people are out of routine. So to add another routine in the daily tasks on the first week of January will more likely fail. New Year’s resolutions are better made on the first week of February.