Already planning to abandon your New Year’s resolutions? Scientists reveal the best way to spin it to maintain your friends’ respect
- Scientists have revealed the best way to screw up giving up resolutions
- Instead of blaming a lack of self-control, blame external factors
From finally getting fit to ditching the booze once and for all, many of us will be setting ambitious New Year's resolutions this weekend.
If you're already unsure about whether you can keep these promises, luckily there is help available.
Scientists have revealed the best way to cheat on abandoning New Year's resolutions to maintain the respect of your friends.
Instead of blaming a lack of self-control, the team at Bayes Business School says you should blame external factors, such as a lack of money.
“Choosing factors over which many of us have less control, such as a lack of money, can give the impression that we have better self-control, even if we abandon our New Year's resolutions or break a promise.” , says Dr. Janina Steinmetz, lead author of the study. .
From finally getting fit to ditching the booze once and for all, many of us will be setting ambitious New Year's resolutions this weekend. If you're already unsure about whether you can keep these promises, luckily there is help available
In the study, the team wanted to investigate which excuses people are most sympathetic to when it comes to broken New Year's resolutions.
“Many resolutions or commitments require time or money, so the lack of one or the other seems to provide a good excuse to break it without negatively impacting the way others see us,” Dr. Steinmetz said.
“However, these two excuses are not equally effective.”
The study asked 200 participants to read about people who didn't keep their promises to eat healthier.
Some people blamed the cost of cooking healthy meals, while others said they were defeated by a lack of time.
When asked to rate the people on self-control and as potential gym partners, participants rated the first group higher.
“These results are surprising because people like to use lack of time as an excuse when they can't do something,” says Dr. Steinmetz.
'They equate lack of time with high status. However, the studies show that we tend to think that others could find the time to exercise or prepare healthy meals if they were sufficiently motivated.”
Instead of blaming a lack of self-control, the Bayes Business School team says you should blame external factors, such as a lack of money (stock image)
Beyond the way we frame our failed New Year's resolution, the researchers say the results could have implications for local authorities and NHS organizations working with people trying to lose weight.
“People often justify a diet high in fast food or TV dinners by saying it's faster than buying and cooking healthy ingredients,” explains Dr. Steinmetz.
'Organizations that promote or market healthy lifestyles, or work with patients on behavior change, can challenge the self-aggrandizing claim that people are 'just too busy' to choose the healthy option.
'They can promote healthy but easy-to-prepare meals with affordable ingredients or the benefits of even half an hour of aerobic activity.
“That would undermine the credibility of an all-too-familiar excuse.”
Additionally, the findings could be useful for people looking for a new job or romance, Dr. Steinmetz said.
“In job interviews and on questionnaires on dating websites, people are often invited to talk about a failure they've had in their lives,” she added.
'Obviously we've all had them, but explaining why, whether you're looking for a job or romance, blaming uncontrollable factors can help you convey a positive image.
'Although my research did not look at those contexts, it may be wise to avoid the temptation to blame time constraints.'