As the New Year approaches, many people set their goals for the year <\/span><\/span>(New Year’s resolution)<\/span><\/span> and are determined to achieve them. For example, they may aim to lose weight or exercise more. Unfortunately, research shows that 17-45 percent of us abandon our New Year’s goals within just a month, and most people give up on their intentions within half a year, leading to a condition known as <\/span><\/span>false hope syndrome.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

To increase the chances of success, researchers recommend setting realistic goals that are achievable rather than prohibitive ones, such as quitting drinking or smoking. We can break our goals down into long-term goals and micro-goals. For instance, if you want to lose weight, aiming to lose 10 kilograms may seem overwhelming and difficult, leading to discouragement and abandonment of the goal. Instead, we should adjust our target to something more attainable, like losing an average of 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week. Therefore, we can set the 10-kilogram target as a long-term goal and use the average weight loss as a micro-goal to focus on each week. By consistently working towards these micro-goals, we will feel a sense of achievement, gain motivation, and ultimately reach the long-term goal we set. This approach can also be applied to other goals.<\/span><\/p>