New year's resolutions have been around for ages. Some people believe that if you set a goal at the beginning of the year, it will motivate you to achieve it by the end. However, research shows that only 8% of people achieve their New Year's resolutions in any given year!
新年決志已經存在很長時間了。有些人相信，如果你在年初設定一個目標，它將在年底前激勵你實現它。然而，研究顯示，任何一年只有8%的人實現了他們的新年決議！
Is January 1st the best day to start?
While it may be a day that many people associate with the start of a new year, January 1st is not a date that has much personal significance for most people. It's generally considered an arbitrary choice—as in, "We're going to start doing this thing on January 1st because everyone else does." If you want your resolution to have more meaning and longevity than just another year of resolutions unfulfilled, consider picking a more meaningful date instead.
For example: if you were born on May 17th and are interested in learning how to do stand-up comedy but don't know where or how to start, try getting up at an open mic night near your house or signing up for classes at an improv or comedy theater near where you live. Yes, May 17th looks like a great date for that.
If you're interested in getting in better shape, consider signing up for a local 5K race or attending a yoga class. If you want to learn how to sew, try taking some classes at a local craft store. If you want to learn how to play an instrument but don't know where to start, ask around at music stores and online forums for recommendations about which instrument is easiest for beginners. Yes, May 17th is also a great day for all of those. Yes, it can be a great birthday gift to ask others as well.
Another significant day people neglect is TODAY! Today is a special day as it represents our present. So, if you want to start a new positive habit, consider starting Today!
一月一日是最好的開始日嗎？
雖然這可能是許多人將其與新的一年開始聯繫在一起的一天，但一月一日對大多數人來說並不是一個具有太多個人意義的日期。它通常被認為是一種隨意的選擇——就像是，"我們打算從一月一日開始做這件事，因為每個人都這麼做。"如果你希望你的決議比另一年的決議更有意義和長久性，那麼考慮選擇一個更有意義的日期。
例如：如果你在5月17日出生，並對學習如何做單口喜劇感興趣，但不知道從哪裡或如何開始，試著在你家附近的一個開咪之夜起床，或在你生活的地方附近的一個即興或喜劇劇院報名上課。是的，5月17日看起來是一個很好的日期。
如果你有興趣變得更健康，考慮報名一個當地的5K賽跑或參加一個瑜伽課。如果你想學縫紉，試著在當地的一家手工藝店上一些課程。如果你想學習如何演奏樂器但不知道從哪裡開始，詢問音樂商店和線上論壇關於哪種樂器最適合初學者的建議。是的，5月17日也是所有這些的一個很好的日子。是的，這可能是一個很好的生日禮物，向其他人要求。
另一個被人們忽視的重要日子是今天！今天是一個特別的日子，因為它代表了我們的現在。所以，如果你希望開始一個新的積極習慣，考慮今天就開始！
If you think you will fail (and more than 80% of people do), then why bother?
If you think your resolution is going to fail, then why bother?
Instead of completely giving up on the idea. Why not set goals and follow up in such a way that you will have a higher chance of success?
Here are some ways to make sure you stick to it:
Don't be unreasonable with your goals. If you're trying to lose 50 pounds in two weeks, it's probably not going to happen. Instead, try something more manageable, like losing 10 pounds in 2 months by making small changes every day.
Set up reminders throughout the day so that when it comes time for a healthy activity or meal, you won't forget about it. For example, set an alarm on your phone that reminds you at 9 am and 5 pm every day that now would be an ideal time for a walk or some exercise. You can even use tools like Habitica or Fitocracy, which reward users with points and badges based on their progress toward achieving their goals!
Set realistic expectations so that when things don't go exactly as planned—and they won't always—you can still feel good about yourself and continue moving forward towards those goals!
Keep in mind that it is hard to maintain the discipline to work towards your goal. So, keep being kind to yourself, expect to fall on the way, but know you can get up again.
Know that results take time! If you are planning to learn a programming language, you might have to keep learning every day for 100 days to get good results! If you are aiming to get in shape, it can take just as much time to see results. So, count this time to get when setting up your goals (another reason to start today!)
如果你認為你會失敗（超過80%的人認為會），那還有什麼好困擾的？
如果你認為你的決議將會失敗，那麼為什麼還要困擾呢？
與其完全放棄這個想法。為什麼不設定目標並按照這種方式進行跟進，以便你有更高的成功機會？
以下是一些確保你堅持下去的方法：
別對你的目標不切實際。如果你試圖在兩週內減掉50磅，那可能不會發生。相反，嘗試一些更可管理的事情，比如通過每天做出小變化在2個月內減掉10磅。
在一天中設定提醒，這樣當健康活動或餐點的時間到來時，你不會忘記它。例如，在手機上設置一個鬧鐘，每天在早上9點和下午5點提醒你現在是散步或運動的理想時間。你甚至可以使用像Habitica或Fitocracy這樣的工具，根據用戶實現他們的目標的進度給予用戶獎勵和徽章！
設定現實的期望，這樣即使事情沒有完全按計劃進行——並且總是會這樣——你仍然可以對自己感到滿意，並繼續向那些目標前進！
要記住，維持工作向你的目標前進的紀律是很困難的。所以，對自己保持善良，期待在路上摔倒，但要知道你可以再站起來。
要知道結果需要時間！如果你計劃學習一種編程語言，你可能需要每天堅持學習100天才能獲得好的成果！如果你的目標是塑形，看到結果可能需要同樣長的時間。所以，當設定目標時，計算這個時間（另一個今天開始的理由！）。
Starting small can help!... a lot!
The most successful resolutions are ones that make a small change, such as going to the gym or eating healthier. If you're trying to lose weight, instead of saying, "I'm going to lose 50 pounds this year," you should set smaller goals like "I'm going to lose 1 pound a week," and then celebrate when you reach your goal.
Also important is having people around who support your goal and will help you achieve it. If no one is around to encourage you or do something with, it can be for motivation to slip away!
If a change seems too difficult at first glance, try breaking down the task into smaller parts until it feels more manageable. This may mean breaking up large projects into small steps, so they feel more achievable. For example: if someone wants to write an essay about global warming but doesn't know how they'll do it (or where), breaking down each step—researching information online about what causes global warming, finding sources from credible news organizations like the BBC; writing an outline—will make things easier!
It might also be helpful if there were some rewards built into these new habits (e.g., "After I finish cleaning my room today, I can watch my favorite TV show"). Rewards help keep us motivated because we get something out of our hard work :)
Even with all those, motivation can be tough to maintain. This is where the notion of discipline can come into play. Many people perceive motivation as doing something while enjoying doing it, while discipline is perceived as doing something whether you like it or not. Achieving your resolutions will likely involve both!
從小做起可以幫助...非常多！
最成功的決議是那些做出小變化的決議，如去健身房或吃得更健康。如果你正在嘗試減肥，而不是說，"我今年要減掉50磅，"你應該設定較小的目標，如"我每週要減掉1磅，"然後在達到目標時慶祝。
同樣重要的是有人在你周圍支持你的目標並將幫助你實現它。如果沒有人在你周圍鼓勵你或做一些事情，奮鬥的動機可能會消失！
如果一個變化在一開始看起來太困難，試著將任務分解成較小的部分，直到它感覺上更容易。這可能意味著將大型項目分解成小的步驟，使他們感覺更易於實現。例如：如果有人想寫一篇關於全球變暖的文章，但不知道他們將如何做（或從哪裡開始），則每一步的分解——在線上查找有關全球變暖的原因的資訊；從像BBC這樣的可信新聞組織找到來源；寫一個大綱——會讓事情變得更容易！
如果這些新習慣中有一些獎勵，那可能會有所幫助（例如，"在我今天清理完我的房間後，我可以看我最喜歡的電視節目"）。獎勵有助於我們保持積極，因為我們可以從我們的辛勤工作中獲得一些回報:)
即使有了所有這些，維持動力也可能很難。這就是紀律觀念可以發揮作用的地方。許多人認為動機是在享受的同時做某事，而紀律被認為是無論你喜不喜歡都要做某事。實現你的決議很可能涉及到這兩者！
Conclusion
The truth is that resolutions can work if we are smart about them. It all depends on how we approach them. In reality, they are just like any other goal, if you're not motivated and don't have discipline, then chances are your resolution won't work out. Oh, you are planning got start something, don't wait for another new year! Today is probably the best day the get things going!
結論
事實是，如果我們對它們足夠聰明，決議可以奏效。這完全取決於我們如何看待他們。事實上，他們就像任何其他目標，如果你沒有動力並且不具有紀律性，那麼你的決議可能就不會奏效。哦，你正打算開始做一些事，不要等待另一個新年！今天可能是最好的一天來開始做事