RESOLUTIONS PART 1: ADDITION vs. SUBTRACTION

When we try to change behavior or introduce a new behavior, it is most effective when we add a new or different behavior than stop an old one. Firstly, it can be very difficult to stop doing something that we've gotten so used to doing. As the saying goes: "Old habits die hard." Our momentum can be very strong and we tend to keeping going in the direction we've been going.

Secondly, when we introduce the new behavior, it can be linked with a message or incentive for that new behavior. Of course, it will be most effective to link the new behavior with a positive message. This association between the new behavior and the positive message will be highly reinforcing, making it more likely that we will continue to do this activity into the future. For example, in the statement, "I will go for a walk to be healthy and lose weight" the positive message of being healthy and losing weight can be strong encouragement for me to go for the walk. And when I go for that walk, I tell myself: "I'm doing something healthy" - very rewarding!

Thirdly, it is more effective to have a specific action that we would like to carry out to replace the old behavior. By having a specific action in mind, it prevents us from having a situation where we want to stop an old behavior but are stuck contemplating what to replace it with. This can lead to confusion, anxiety and inertia, as we think about what to do to replace the old activity. In that time, we may get less motivated, overwhelmed and just decide it might be better to keep doing what we've been doing. Consider the differences in the example of saying, "I will go for a walk to be healthy and lose weight" versus, "I should stop sitting on the couch all day to be healthy and lose weight." What's missing is, the new activity I do to replace my old activity of sitting on the couch all day. It also then implies that what I've been doing has been "bad" or "unhealthy" and by association that "I am bad." Such negative statements make us feel bad, less motivated and ultimately can stifle change.

So, in the context of improving the odds that we will follow through with our resolutions and enact personal change with a lasting effect, consider adding on a new/improved behavior rather than trying to stop an old/maladaptive one.

-dpl