STORY BY AMANDA JEMMETT
Most people who make New Year’s resolutions don’t stick to them, according to well- known Toronto psychotherapist.
Students claim they make a New Year’s resolution because it’s fun, or that it feels like the status quo. They feel more pressure to make a resolution on Jan 1, rather than any other time of year. Psychotherapist Nicole McCance, 33, says, “People use new years as an excuse to procrastinate, new years doesn’t make your goal more achievable.” She finds that most peoples’ resolutions are unrealistic and too big which causes them to give up quickly.
Matt LeClair, 19, first year Media Arts student says, because it’s a new year it feels like a clean slate, “making it a better time to begin self improvement and it makes it seem more important.”
Though most students never actually complete their resolutions they continue to make one every year. McCance believes it’s because people do things over and over again expecting different results. “People don’t realize that wanting to change and needing to change aren’t the same thing.”
Avni Patel, 19, first year Global Business Management student was able to stick to her personal resolution last year for the full term and hopes to do that again this year. “I get a picture of what my resolution is and that helps to motivate me. Usually I’m able to stick with a resolution for around three months, like my resolution to give up caffeine but I had to stop due to school and pulling all nighters.”
According to McCance, 60 per cent of people make a resolution but only eight per cent are able to stick with it full term, “people are way more likely to let themselves down, so if they were to post their resolution on a social media site such as Facebook, they’ll be more afraid of letting others down and will stick to their resolution longer.” She said. Princess Peddie, 18, first year Performing Arts Preparation student, says that “The pressure of others knowing would push me harder, because if I don’t reach my goal everyone will know.”
Patel gets support to complete her resolution from her family giving her something to strive towards, this years resolution is to lose weight. “My dad told me that if I achieve my resolution he’ll pay for my tattoo.”
Though most resolutions are for personal reasons, McCance says the top four resolutions are to; lose weight, save money or get out of debt, give up bad habits such as smoking or biting your nails, to learn something new, or to volunteer. “These are the types of things people complain about most and so it makes sense for new years to be when they decide to change it.”