What鈥檚 the biggest mistake people make about New Year鈥檚 resolutions?
To be successful, people think they need more willpower when in fact they need a plan. Here鈥檚 something I wrote about the topic for as a :
My guess is that you, like most American adults, have at least one New Year鈥檚 resolution.
But resolving to change, however fervently you wish to do so, is that you鈥檒l actually follow through.
Why not?
One reason is that most goals cannot be accomplished all at once and on the spot. You need a way to bridge your current intentions with your future actions. And contrary to popular belief, you don鈥檛 need more willpower. Instead, you need a strategy.
Decades of research by NYU professor Gabriele Oettingen and colleagues on how children and adults turn intentions into actions have culminated in a four-step strategy called 鈥攁n acronym that stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan.
Let me walk you through WOOP using my New Year鈥檚 resolution as an example.
Wish: Exercise five times per week.
This goal is challenging yet feasible. I鈥檓 reliably exercising on Saturdays and Sundays but only twice (at most) on weekdays.
Outcome: Get a great night鈥檚 sleep more consistently.
I sleep better on days when I鈥檝e worked out.
Obstacle: My mornings are busy. And I hate working out in the evening.
Most weekdays, I make breakfast and then I have scheduled phone calls and meetings for work.
Plan: When it鈥檚 8 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, I鈥檒l go for a run.
The final step in WOOP can take the longest. I started with the idea that I鈥檇 wake up at 5 a.m. to exercise. Then I realized this schedule conflicted with my goal of getting more sleep! Ultimately, I decided to move my work commitments to start at 9 a.m. three days a week.
顿辞苍鈥檛 assume that means relying on old-fashioned willpower.
Do WOOP your New Year鈥檚 resolutions! Ask yourself, 鈥淲hat holds me back?鈥� And then think of a strategy. In the words of Antoine de Saint-Exup茅ry: A goal without a plan is just a wish.
