Every New Year is celebrated with new calendars, parties, and New Year’s resolutions. Many times, these habits are made and broken in a matter of weeks, if not days. This year, however, with the advice of professionals, perhaps breaking these resolutions won’t be so easy.

Why do people decide to make resolutions?

Lauri Dusselier, health promotion supervisor at the Student Health Center, said resolutions cause many people to believe they must change something in their lives.

“I think it’s a tradition that has been handed down through the years that people talk about making resolutions,” Dusselier said.”I think that people should make changes any time in their lives that they’re ready to make the changes, even if it’s not Jan. 1.”

People know the changes they’d like to make for themselves, and the new year provides the chance to make those changes, said Nancy Shaw, interim public wellness supervisor for the city of Ames.

“People figure it’s a new year and it’s a time to make changes in their lives – changes that they’ve wanted to make for a while but haven’t yet,” she said.

The start of the new year makes people feel as if it’s a good time to start new habits, said Lynn Spivey, ISU fitness program coordinator.

“Others start now because it’s the beginning of a semester and they want to get in shape for spring break,” she said.

Health is a good motivator for people to make resolutions, said Tanya Hargrave-Klein, lifetime fitness supervisor at Mary Greeley Medical Center.

“Through the holiday season, we sometimes don’t make the healthy lifestyle choices because there’s so many responsibilities and demands on us that keep us busy,” she said.

Why do people have problems keeping resolutions?

One reason people are unable to keep New Year’s resolutions is because of the magnitude of the change they are attempting to make, Dusselier said.

People try to make too many changes, aren’t prepared and don’t have support to stick with it, she said. “Usually they try to make too major of a change instead of making smaller, more manageable steps.”

Many times, people don’t have a plan about how to keep their New Year’s resolution – they haven’t thought about the process of what they need to do to meet their goal, Shaw said.

“They make their goals unreachable. Instead of planning on losing one or two pounds a week, they attempt to lose a large amount of weight,” she said.

Spivey also said not breaking down a resolution makes it more difficult to attain.

“People tend to start a program and they go all-out initially,” she said. “They don’t stick to it because by going all-out, they get sore and they realize that there’s a time commitment associated with it as well. It takes out a chunk of their time, and if that is not a priority, it makes it challenging to stick with an exercise program.”

People may make too lofty of resolutions and set their sights too high, wanting things to happen too quickly, Hargrave-Klein said.

“They may set unrealistic goals. Resolutions with short-term goals are best so they can achieve some mini-successes and feel good along the way,” she said.

How can someone keep his or her New Year’s resolutions?

“The best way to keep a resolution is to get information about what it is you’re trying to do by using resources that are available,” Dusselier said. “Talk to your friends about making the improvements that you’re trying to make so that they can be supportive.”

These resources include the Wellness Center – which offers smoking cessation, stress management and nutrition and exercise consultations – Recreation Services, the Student Counseling Center and Ames Parks and Recreation – which offers exercise classes – she said.

The most important thing is to make goals attainable, Shaw said, which can be done by hiring a personal trainer or attending fitness or yoga classes.

“Getting involved in a structured exercise program might help people attain their goal,” she said.

Starting small and expanding upon the initial program is the best way to meet New Year’s resolutions, Spivey said.

“People go into things and work really hard, but they need to take a more reasonable approach,” she said. “We recommend three months to see significant results. People oftentimes get discouraged when they don’t see results in a week or two.

“It’s a lifestyle change,” Spivey said.

“It’s not something you go on and off of.”

People who make resolutions need to be aware of who they’re making the resolution for, Hargrave-Klein said.

“You need to make sure that you’re doing it for yourself and not for anybody else or because anybody else is pushing you in that direction,” she said. “If you’re internally motivated, you’re more likely to stick with it.”

What make the best resolutions?

“[Make goals] smaller, and at the end of every month or week, analyze your goal and where you’re at,” Shaw said. “Catch yourself early, and if the goal isn’t being met, change it. Incorporate the resolution into your everyday lifestyle.”

Making a resolution and using enjoyable things to help meet a resolution makes the process last longer, Spivey said.

“People need to do what they will continue to do,” she said. “[They] need to do something they like to do instead of what is necessarily best to do.”