A new year, a new beginning?

A new year brings a fresh start, and many of us set ambitious resolutions. We aim to spend more time with loved ones, exercise more, eat healthier, work less, smoke less, drink less, be more honest, watch less porn, or lose weight. Yet, we often fail to stick to these goals. Why is that? Is there a way to stay motivated, overcome structural incentives, and truly achieve our aims?

According to psychologist Arie Dijkstra humans are generally adept at changing their behavior; evolution has favoured those who can adapt to new information and circumstances. He states that the failure of New Year’s resolutions is unsurprising—particularly given the lack of free will in human behaviour.

Arie Dijkstra is a professor specializing in the Social Psychology of Health and Illness at the University of Groningen. He is an expert in the psychology of health behavior and addiction, with research published in renowned journals such as Addiction and Health Psychology. 

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