New Year Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

As with every New Year, I make a list of resolutions I would like to make in the coming year in my head.  As with every New Year, the resolutions never stick.  I got to thinking the other day (way back in 2011) why are resolutions so hard to keep?  Are they unrealistic?  Am I not motivated enough?  Am I not focused (most likely - haha)?  Lack belief in myself?  The answer to all these questions are "yes."

As with every question I ask myself, I turned to the internet for some answers.  During the day I work as a psychiatric rehabilitation worker in Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Beaver, PA.  I teach psychoeducation classes to consumers who attend our facility.  The type of consumers we serve are individuals who live with mental illnesses such as Anxiety, Depression, Schizophrenia and Bipolar.  I lead group discussions on such topics.  As it is home I often turn to the internet for information to have in groups.  When looking up ways to cope with anxiety/depression/anger/stress one of the most common is making goals for yourself.  Consequently, this led to me discussing New Year Resolutions in my Coping with Depression group last week.

I wikipedia-ed (is this even a word?) New Year Resolutions.  I found interesting statistics, although not surprising, from a 2007 study from the University of Bristol by Richard Wiseman that showed 52%, of the 3000 participants in the study, felt confident they would be able to achieve their goals but only 12% of those confident individuals actually succeeded.  Wiseman found a few common denominators in what helped those who did succeed.  Wiseman found men to be more successful when they either made goal setting (i.e. lose one pound per week) or rewarded themselves once they achieved their goals.  He found women were more successful when they told friends or families of their goals.  Here is a link to the article, that also discusses Wiseman's study, that lists ways to keep your New Year Resolutions.

Pretty interesting stuff, huh?  

For the first time I actually wrote down, via my iPhone, my goals for 2012.  Here are some of them (in no specific order):

• learn how to read crochet patterns
• build a studio
• shoot a wedding on my own
• continue to photograph something a day I am grateful for 
• participate in a weekly photography project
• blog more
• be more active
• study American Sign Language and German
• keep our house clean
• stay on top of laundry
• eat better
• continue to be more positive

What are your New Year resolutions for 2012?  As we said good-bye to 2011 and hello 2012, what were you most looking forward to saying good-bye to?  What are you looking most forward to in 2012?

May 2012 be a year filled with love and laughter for you!

Acornphotography