UNTIL when will you be able to stick to your resolutions?
Every time New Year approaches, people become busy in formulating their resolutions at the hopes of establishing a new start, eventually shunning negative ways and means done in the past.
This tradition of writing and following resolutions serve as the common trend among people who superstitiously believe in this tradition.
But just like the old Filipino maxim ningas cogon, those who vow to keep their resolutions manage to stick to them only at the start of the year. As days pass by, they eventually find themselves breaking the resolutions they made.
Have a reachable start
According to Lucila Bance, directress of the University’s Guidance Counseling Department, resolutions characterize a person’s long-term goals, adding that they are the objectives that a person would like to achieve in a year.
“These are their objectives that are carefully planned throughout the year despite the temptations they may be having,” she said.
For Thomasians who would like to stick to their objectives, Bance recommends the “SMART” program that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time bound.
“You have to make sure that your goals are objectivse and reachable,” she said.
In making resolutions, one must also expect that a certain goal is realistic and achievable for a specific period of time, she said.
Stick to your objectives
Bance further said that fulfilling one’s resolution can be attained through determination and discipline.
“If you really want to achieve something, you have to stick to your objectives,” she said.
The success for one’s achievement in compliance to one’s resolution is also up to the person’s willingness to accomplish his goals.
“Nobody else can dictate us how we are supposed to do. You have that goal in yourself and you should have it [also] in your mind,” Bance said.
As explained in Psychology, she said that the only behavior one can will is his/her own behavior.
However, Bance noted that problems such as environmental differences can affect a person’s determination in fulfilling his goals.
“The person has to be resilient despite the many problems he encounter in life. He would be resourceful enough to find ways and means to push through with his goal,” she said.
Put it into writing
Bance also noted “bibliotherapy” as an effective means to accomplish one’s goals for a particular day.
According to her, “bibliotherapy” is a practice wherein one will write down everything that he/she needs to do in a day. After some time, the person must go back to the list in order realize the many things that happened in his/her life.
“Put your goals into writing and those you have not finished, put it for another day. Through that way, you could really stick to your objectives,” she said.
Still, not all resolutions are made for oneself, others are simply done out of tradition and trend, she said.
Bance expounded that this is what they call fictional finalism or doing things that you are not aware of because of a subconscious motivation that urges you to achieve a certain goal.
“If you have a dream, you must believe that you can achieve it. You must dream and work for it to be achieved,” she said. Maria Luisa A. Mamaradlo
