Whether it is New Year’s Day or any of the other 364, people consider making a change.  Yet making a change, especially one that affects our health, is daunting.  In this video, Dr. Mike Evans, answers the important question, “Do New Year’s resolutions actually work?” Dr. Evans reports on the research of John Norcross, psychologist and author of Changeology.

Research into the psychology of change shows that people fall into 3 categories:
1) No interest in change
2) Contemplating change
3) Decided to change
Of those contemplating change, only 4% are successful at 6 months.  Of those decided to change, 46% are successful at 6 months.  So what are the characteristics between these 2 groups of people who result in a 42% improvement in the success rate at 6 months?

It’s interesting that those demonstrating successful change do so with the following perspective:

Change Myth  vs.  Change Reality
big goals  vs.  small goals
motivation  vs.  facilitation
will power  vs.  minimize temptation
self control  vs.  self monitoring

By establishing a series of small goals, taking steps to facilitate the change, proactively minimizing temptations, and celebrating the small successes, you will have followed the best road to success. So plan your journey when you announce your goals.