DENVER, C.O. — It's now 2024 and you may have made a resolution or two to start the year off. But studies have shown the success rate for completing New Year's resolutions is low.
One study from Ohio State Universityshows nearly half of people give up by the end of January. Motivation was at the core of all the reasons why people quit.
But this story isn't a catchy headline for "The 5 Ways You Can Stay Motivated About Your New Year's Resolution." It's about the mental health impact resolutions can have, and how you can feel better about setting goals for yourself.
"Just because you don't reach your goal doesn't mean that it's a failure," said Dr. Christopher Ivany, a psychiatrist with Family Care Center. "Just the act and the attempt to try to reach the goal usually leads people to something that's better than where where they started."
This all comes down to perspective. Dr. Ivany suggests setting expectations you have for a goal, then looking at all the positive aspects there are along the way in trying to reach it.
"The key into making sure that a New Year's resolution doesn't become something that's negative is your mindset about how you think about that resolution, and whether or not you fail or succeed is still a learning experience for you, and can be very positive," said Dr. Ivany.
