New Year's Resolution Often Fails, But January 1st Remains The Right Moment To Start New Things

JAKARTA January 1st for some people may be considered a normal date to start an upgrade. But there is a psychological reason why the new year is good to do so.

Almost every year many people start the new year with a series of resolutions. Diligent sports, reduce shared time with gadgets, and are wiser in managing finances, including among those that are often used as resolutions by many people.

The results vary, many failed but not a few also managed to undergo their resolution throughout the year. Because not a few ended up disappointed with the failure of resolution, in the end many considered January 1 as an important date to start something new.

However, based on psychological research, there are several reasons why getting good started is done during the new year.

New year's resolution is often considered an opportunity to start everything from scratch. Psychologist Nadya Pramesrani said resolution was born out of dissatisfaction with the current conditions and the desire to create positive changes.

The moment of turn of the year provides a strong psychological boost, motivating individuals to evaluate and establish new, better steps.

Anna Katharina Schaffner, a cultural historian and author of The Art of Self-Improvement, said literature about self-enhancing had existed centuries ago, for example in ancient Chinese times and the Roman Stoa.

Meanwhile, according to psychologists, many orag see life as a narrative, dividing it into separate "babs" that mark various stages of life.

"People tend to think about the life of a person they are characters in a book," said Katy Milkman, a professor of psychology at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

These chapters depict major events in life, such as university admission, marriage, or child birth. But on the other hand these main chapters become smaller parts so that the beginning of the year is considered to represent a pause in each narrative.

"Every time you have a moment that feels like time sharing, your mind does a special thing that creates the feeling that you have a new beginning," said Milkman.

"You flip the page, you have a clean sheet, it's a new start," he added.

This, according to Milkman, helps create a psychological distance from past failures that allow a person to feel that any mistakes in the previous year would make it better.

In a study, Milkman also found that people are not only happy to set new targets during the new year, but also after going through holiday time. Even Monday and every month is also often considered the right moment to start something new.

To get further evidence, Milkman and his friends tested whether a new start could have a significant effect. To do so, the researchers invited the participants, but they were divided into two groups. What distinguishes the group is how they determine the date.

The first group created a third 'Thursday in March' to start a resolution. While the rest makes the 'first day of spring' which is expected to evoke a new initial taste.

This method works. Students who are encouraged to think of a new start in the first day of spring are more likely to start new habits. Starting from improving sleep hygiene, spending time in gyms, or spending less time on social media, than those who don't see the date as a clear and significant division in the timeline.

"That's why the new year is a very interesting starting point compared to other events," said Milkman.

"This is a big change for most people," he continued.

However, before making a resolution, it is important to consider personal conditions and set realistic goals. Clinical psychologist Nirmala Ika suggested that resolutions be adjusted to life's priorities. For example, if the main focus at this time is career development, then health targets may need to be adjusted to remain realistic without becoming a burden.

And even if the new year's resolution doesn't go according to plan, it's important not to overly blame yourself. Because failure is actually part of life. On the other hand, it is important to adopt a positive mindset and learning from mistakes can help a person rise and continue their efforts to achieve their goals.