MEEKER | Are you tired of making resolutions year after year, only to watch them fade away shortly after making them? According to a study done by social scientists, most of us are not tired of this tradition. The majority of us continue to try to make a new start by setting some goals.
This brief report about the survey was too broad and did not cite the specifics of the survey before concluding that the average length of time an individual dedicates to actually working on those goals is two weeks! For some perverse competitive reason I felt better about my goals lasting longer.
The pandemic has thrown a weird kink in that scenario. By the end of 2020, everyone was complaining about their increase in outdoor exercise, so the chances of them needing to get more exercise, walking particularly, are slim. Conversely though, most everyone packed on pounds. It is safe to say that losing weight could remain at the top of everyone’s list.
Upon hearing the recent news about New Year’s resolutions lacking staying power, a close friend asked, “you know who benefits from keeping this tradition alive, don’t you?’” When I responded that I hadn’t thought about it, he claimed that the fitness industry had been part of this myth making for years. They had been part of the eat less, exercise more for years.
The pandemic simply made sure it happened. Some would say that this statement is contradictory, when many of us have been complaining about the previously dubbed “freshman 15” to describe the weight gain of most college students. Sadly, Covid -19’s staying power has made sure that many of us are now facing hunger for the first time. They are not eating less by choice or resolve, their cupboards are bare.
Yet for many of us, hunger is not a problem. I suspect those old tried and true New Year’s resolutions will remain to be a tradition — lose weight and exercise more. I didn’t bother making even one resolution this year. Why bother if I might break them before the end of the month? Happy 2021!
By DOLLY VISCARDI – Special to the Herald Times
