Supercharge Your New Year's Resolutions |
The new year is a beautiful time to set intentions and consider meaningful change. Yet many resolutions focus only on behaviors—what we plan to do differently—without addressing the deeper psychological forces that determine whether change lasts. This year, instead of concentrating solely on routines or restrictions, let's look beneath the surface and commit to change that reshapes how we see ourselves.
Lasting change is not just about effort or willpower. It is about alignment between our actions, beliefs, and sense of identity.
Practical strategies such as meal prepping, speaking up at work, or waking up earlier can certainly improve daily functioning. But their psychological power lies in what they communicate internally. Over time, repeated behaviors don’t just change outcomes—they shape beliefs about our competence and self-worth.
Psychological research consistently shows that behavior and belief influence one another in a reciprocal loop. Self-perception theory, first articulated by Bem (1972), suggests that people often........