Oof. Resolutions.

This time of year, our imaginations can run a little wild with ideas for new wellness approaches. At certain times and in certain environments, we can talk ourselves into nearly anything but, as you know, it usually doesn’t stick. As it turns out, no matter how much environmentally sustainable protein they have, nobody in this house is committed to habitually eating mealworms - though my husband did say that these aren’t half bad. It might be contextual; he had to eat a palmful of foraged mealworms in military survival training, and no effort was made to improve their taste. Apparently, proper seasoning is a must.

Can a well-thought-out resolution work though? It turns out that there’s a cognitive bias that can actually aid in your success and Katy Milkman describes it here in an older episode of Choiceology. Also, James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits, asserts that it’s important to focus on who you’re being and not just what you’re doing in this episode of ‘Good Life Project’. A far more thorough take on habits with Clear can be found in his interview with Peter Attia where he outlines the four steps he uses to build successful habits. For instance, by focusing on being a runner versus running a marathon, you are more likely to align your habits consistent with someone who will one day run a marathon. As Hermione Granger would no doubt argue, it’s all in the way that you say it. It boils down to setting and forgetting outcome goals while focusing on the day-to-day steps that get you there (process goals).