Resolution revolution

Bricker, who knows a thing or two about how to make lasting behavioral changes, blames a number of factors for our doomed resolutions.

First, our motivation – the very reason behind a resolution -- may be unclear. For example, we’ll decide to make a change based on someone else’s desire rather than our own. Second, we’ll make vague or unrealistic plans for ourselves, like “I want to be more productive at work” or “I want to lose 50 pounds in a month.”  Another problem: self-judgment. “People will eat a slice a cake, get mad at themselves and then say ‘To heck with the whole diet!’” Bricker said.  Finally, we lack the skills to recognize and deal with triggers for the unwanted behavior, either not noticing our cravings or having unrealistic ideas about what to do with them.

How do you make a resolution in such a way that you’ll actually keep it? Here are Bricker’s best tips:

Know what matters to you. Think about what you really care about that will make this change worthwhile. Do you want to lose weight or quit smoking because you care about your own health? Want to show love for your family? Want to have more money to spend on the things that matter to you? “Dignify your resolutions with your values,” he said.

Make a specific and achievable plan. Think small, as in losing 5 – not 50 – pounds in one month. When you reach that goal, make another small goal. “Thinking big is daunting,” Bricker said. “Thinking small can work.”

Be nice to yourself. Give yourself a break and allow yourself to slip. Perfectionism is the problem, Bricker said. “Doing it wrong once in a while is the solution. Surprisingly, giving yourself permission to mess up can make it easier to try again,” he said. “And keep trying.”

Be aware and be willing. Be aware of your triggers for the undesired behavior, he advises. What thoughts, feelings and sensations do you have before you eat the cookie, smoke the cigarette, grab the drink or check your Facebook page? Once you’re aware, try to be willing: allow your sensations, thoughts, and feelings to come and go without trying to act on them. “Rather than avoiding your triggers, try to just let them be there,” Bricker said. “If you can watch them for a few minutes, you may discover they are not so urgent. And sometimes they even go away.”

Editor's note:  Bricker talks more about willingness, cravings, smoking cessation, and his scientifically sound approach to behavioral change in this recent TEDx talk. Interested in kicking the cigarette habit? Get help – and join his Fred Hutch study – at www.webquit.org.

Fred Hutch will be posting resolutions by faculty and staff all through January on our Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ pages. Follow us there and share your own goals in the new year.

Diane Mapes is a staff writer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She has written extensively about health issues for NBC News, TODAY, CNN, MSN, Seattle Magazine, and other publications. A breast cancer survivor, she also writes the breast cancer blog doublewhammied.com. Reach her at dmapes@fredhutch.org.