Making Resolutions – Success through the power of three social motions!
Congrats on taking the plunge, that is committing to your resolution to get started to be more active. So, how do you make sure that commitment sticks? Most people only rely on "willpower." Now that is a problem! Studies identify only depending on sheer willpower, less than 20% of resolutions will make it. That means a whopping 80% of best intentions, end up biting the dust eventually, a quarter to a third by week three. Willpower alone does NOT work.
Relying solely on willpower is like trying to run a marathon with just a single energy bar – it's not going to cut it, especially on those days when you're running on empty. The answer?
“Enter the three musketeers, key Social Emotions that when applied increase success: Pride, Gratitude, and Compassion. Coined by David DeSteno from Northwestern University College of Sciences, these “Social Emotions” are the secret sauce to making your commitment a success story.”
The breakdown
The Power of Pride: This isn't about bragging; it's about feeling genuinely proud of your own abilities, especially recognizing the small victories early on when starting something like getting active. According to DeSteno, this authentic pride, and adding positive recognition from others, has results that goes far beyond willpower alone. Lab tests showed that combining authentic pride plus willpower can turbocharge your results. ACTION ITEM: First, proudly acknowledge your success(es) every day. Second, have a trusted person who will recognize those successes no matter how small
The Power of Gratitude: Simple but mighty. Having an attitude of gratitude minimizes the temptation of instant rewards replacing long-term goals. An experiment showed that taking a mere 5 minutes to feel grateful doubled participants' self-control to stick to it. ACTION ITEM: Take a moment to reflect on what you're thankful for, especially your ability to work towards your goals.
The Power of Compassion: Cut yourself some slack! Embracing compassion makes you more resilient when things don't go as planned. Life is full of oops moments, but with compassion, you bounce back and focus on improvement rather than beating yourself up. ACTION ITEM: Simply accept you had a moment, acknowledge that is human, and get back to your resolution.
Summary
These Three Musketeers – Pride, Gratitude, and Compassion – are your allies in the quest for success. When you're embarking on your goal, remember to:
Personalize it with Pride: Make it yours, proudly own it!
Sprinkle in Gratitude: Reflect on the good stuff; it amps up the value of your future goals.
Embrace Compassion: Forgive slip-ups and get right back on track.
Here's to making your commitment your long-term success!
