Happy 2014.  Did you make a New Year’s Resolution?

I did, and unlike the resolutions I have made in the past, I was determined to make mine realistic, measurable and attainable, otherwise this year’s batch of promises would end up like many that have come before – totally abandoned by February 28.  My first resolution is to improve my health; one quantifiable way I can do that is to go to the gym. I am happy to report that by the end of the first week in January, I had been to the gym six times. As we approach the end of the second week, I have been able to stick to my new workout schedule, in spite of traveling across the country to attend a conference.

My second resolution is to finish my book. I really should have spent more time working on the book and less time making turkey sandwiches during the recent break, but since I didn’t, I have resolved to seek a quiet place to write at least once a week, no matter where my travels take me.

After I made my resolutions, however, I started to wonder why we wait for January 1 to resolve to change and how many people actually stick it out for the remaining 364 days? After all, change is hard, right?

According to Statistic Brain, only 8% of people who make New Year’s Resolutions stick to them. That means that 92% of all people fail at achieving their goal. That is a lot of quitters! Actually, 36% of people will give up by February 1, while a frightening 25% never make it past the first week in January.

Whether you are setting personal goals or goals for your department and institution, I wish you luck and perseverance. Yes, change is hard – even a change for the better.  I will let you all know how I am doing with my resolutions in a few weeks. I am optimistic that I will adhere to my resolutions; after all, I avoided becoming one of the 25% who fail in the first week.  Let me know how you do with yours.