Study Finds How To Create Resolutions That Stick

With the start of a new year, many people resolve to make a change in their lives– but a few months later, most of them have given up. They’ve fallen back into old habits—whether that means stopping trips to the gym, abandoning a new diet, or gradually letting go of whatever positive change they initially set out to make.

Conventional wisdom has long held that these failures are due to a lack of willpower and that greater discipline is the only path to success. However, recent research has proved this theory is false. The problem lies not with the resolution-maker but in their resolution itself.

In this article, we'll analyze the report’s findings to help you craft resolutions you'll actually want to keep.

Resolutions That Stick

The report, published in the journal Psychological Science, included four studies with participants who had set New Year's resolutions or goals for themselves.

Rather than focusing on the nature of the participants' goals or level of discipline, the researchers examined a subtle but important distinction between two types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation is derived from the results of accomplishing a goal, while intrinsic motivation comes from the experience of pursuing the goal itself. The researchers hypothesized that participants who drew motivation from the desirable outcome of their new behavior would be more likely to fail, while those who were motivated by desirable elements of the new behavior itself would more often succeed.

Consider a resolution to exercise more regularly. Your extrinsic motivation might be achieving the goal and improving metrics of physical fitness and health. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, would come from the exercise itself– for example, choosing a group yoga class that allows you to spend time with friends.

To test their theory, the researchers conducted four studies examining the impact of extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation.

Synopsis

Research published in the journal Psychological Science tested the effectiveness of extrinsic vs intrinsic motivation on participants' adherence to their goals across four studies. Extrinsic motivation is derived from the results of accomplishing a goal, while intrinsic motivation comes from the process of pursuing the goal.

Report Finds Intrinsic Motivation Matters Across Four Studies

For the first two studies in the report, the researchers collected data on resolution adherence by following participants over the course of a year– one study followed 2,000 Americans, and the other followed 500 Chinese participants.

They had participants list their primary resolution and rate how much they enjoyed pursuing it versus how important they considered the goal. People consistently rated their resolutions as more important than enjoyable. However, over the following year, the researchers observed that the people who stuck with their resolutions were the ones who rated their resolutions more enjoyable to pursue.

Across these very different cultures, the same pattern emerged– finding enjoyment in the pursuit of a goal led to higher adherence to the new behavior. The researchers didn't stop there. Their third study looked at people with the same goal but different perspectives on it.

For this study, the researchers recruited participants who shared the goal of walking more aided by a step-counting app. They recorded their steps for two consecutive weeks and compared the results of two groups: participants who emphasized that walking more was enjoyable and those who emphasized that walking more was important. The same pattern emerged: those who found walking inherently enjoyable walked significantly more than those who were motivated by the health benefits of walking.

The fourth study tested the causality of intrinsic motivation on goal adherence. The researchers recruited participants to download a health app that scanned the barcode of products to learn about their health impacts. They randomly assigned participants either an intrinsic or extrinsic reason to use the app over the 24-hour study period. Half the participants were told the app was a game that revealed discoveries about each product, and the other half were told the app was a tool that provided useful information.

Those participants who were given the intrinsic motivation that the app was fun to use scanned 26% more products over 24 hours than those who received the extrinsic motivation that scanning with the app provided important and useful information.

This result shows that increasing enjoyment leads to better adherence, and that emphasizing intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation for the same behavior can be more effective.

Synopsis

Across four studies, the researchers consistently found that intrinsic motivation was a better driver of goal adherence than extrinsic motivation. Increased enjoyment of the desired behavior leads to better adherence, and focusing on an intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation for the same behavior can be effective.

Why Intrinsic Motivation Works And How To Use It

The promise of a future reward has limited effectiveness as a motivator. Most resolutions fall into this category, in which a new behavior will result in benefits experienced sometime later. Intrinsic motivation moves the reward into the present.

If the behavior that helps you reach your goal is itself enjoyable, then you receive an immediate reward each time you do that behavior. By focusing on enjoyment, adherence to the new behavior becomes its own reward, creating sustainable motivation to maintain a new healthy habit.

The results in the report clearly show that we are more likely to maintain new behaviors because we enjoy them than because they are “important” or will have some future benefit. We can put this knowledge to work for our bone health goals.

As Savers know, regular exercise is crucial for building muscle and strengthening bones. However, this study teaches us that if you set a new exercise goal and use future benefits as the motivating factor, you're less likely to stick with it. Instead, make an exercise plan that includes activities you enjoy, and make that enjoyment your motivation. The researchers refer to this enjoyment factor as the “intrinsic reward of goal pursuit.”

Build your new, bone-healthy behaviors around an intrinsic reward, not just a future benefit.

This strategy easily extends to dietary goals. If you want to cut down on your intake of acidifying foods, it won't be very enjoyable to focus on self-denial. Instead, set a goal to eat meals you love that have the Save Institute's recommended 80/20 pH-balance of components. That way, you get the intrinsic reward of enjoyable meals.

You may have come to view struggle or displeasure as necessary – or even admirable – parts of improving your health. However, we now know that this idea could be sabotaging your ability to change. Instead of “doing the hard thing” and “pushing through” the immediate costs of pursuing a new goal, find ways to make the pursuit pleasurable.

Increasing the intrinsic reward of goal pursuit is key to long-term success!

Synopsis

Humans struggle to use delayed rewards as motivation for current action. We are more likely to maintain new behaviors because we enjoy them than because they are “important” or will have some future benefit. Use this knowledge to improve your adherence to bone health goals by adopting the most pleasurable versions of new habits. Make that pleasure your motivation to stick with it.

What This Means To You

Resolutions don't fail because of a lack of willpower or an insufficiently important goal. In most cases, resolutions fail because of simple human psychology; we aren't adequately motivated by delayed benefits.

Instead of struggling now for a future benefit, pick healthy behaviors that you enjoy as you do them. Make that enjoyment your motivation for sticking with your new habits.

This strategy is a powerful tool for Savers, because the Osteoporosis Reversal Program uses your behaviors and daily choices to build stronger, healthier bones and prevent fractures. Making small, impactful changes to your habits is the key to unlocking the positive benefits the ORP offers.

By framing those changes in terms of the intrinsic rewards of new behaviors, you can improve your ability to successfully adopt habits that will improve your health and protect your future.

References

¹ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09567976251350960