Despite the best of intentions, a mere one in four people successfully stick to their New Year's resolutions, according to studies. However, fresh psychological research has uncovered a simple yet powerful strategy to tip the odds in your favour: tell someone else.
The 4,000-Year-Old Tradition Meets Modern Science
The practice of making pledges for self-improvement at the start of a new year is an ancient tradition, dating back approximately 4,000 years. For many in the UK today, it represents a pivotal moment to enact life-altering plans, from weight loss and fitness challenges like running a marathon to learning a new skill such as a musical instrument.
Yet, the momentum often fades quickly. Recent polling indicates that the majority of individuals have abandoned their resolutions by the end of February, leaving aspirations unfulfilled.
Sharing Goals Boosts Support and Commitment
To investigate how to break this cycle, psychologists from the University of Toronto in Canada conducted a series of experiments involving more than 1,000 participants. Volunteers were asked to identify a personal goal and were then instructed to either keep it private or share it with others.
The sharing could be done in various ways:
- In person with a partner, parent, sibling, or colleague.
- Via email or a direct message.
- Through public or private social media posts.
- Even with a complete stranger.
Researchers followed up weeks later to measure the level of encouragement each participant received and their progress towards achieving their aim.
The Verdict: Transparency Leads to Success
The findings, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, were clear. Disclosing goals to others resulted in greater encouragement from one's social circle and a significantly higher likelihood of success compared to keeping ambitions secret.
In their report, the psychologists explained the mechanism: "Following through on personal goals can be difficult. There can be many temptations, obstacles and distractions that arise. We found sharing goals motivates greater goal pursuit effort."
They offer straightforward advice: "To increase their chances of following through on a personal goal, people may be well advised to take a moment and chat about it with someone special." This act of sharing bolsters external support and creates a layer of accountability, making it less likely we will abandon our objectives at the first hurdle.
