Being Human Podcast - Episode 54: Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Will Fail (and How to Actually Succeed!)
Welcome to Episode 54 of the Being Human Podcast: Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Will Fail (and How to Actually Succeed!)
Discussed in this episode:
- Reasons why New Year’s resolutions fail;
- Solutions to the roadblocks to your New Year’s resolution;
- The five stages of making a successful change:
- Stage 1: Precontemplation- When the reality of harmful behavior is present, but we don’t recognize it
- Stage 2: Contemplation - When we start thinking about what making a change would look like
- Stage 3: Preparation - Starting to prepare to make the specific change
- Stage 4: Action - Taking action to make the specific change
- Stage 5: Maintenance - Figuring out how to stick to the change in the long run
- Stage 6: Relapse - Part of the change process is to fail.
- “Perfection is only attainable through our acceptance of failure.” - Dr. Greg
- Roadblocks to change:
- Trying to change too many things at once;
- Starting with a habit that is too big;
- Focusing too much on the outcome instead of the process;
- Not looking at the big picture;
- Thinking small changes don’t matter
- Solutions to these roadblocks:
- Break down your resolution into multiple parts and realize how many things you are actually trying to change. Work on one thing at a time;
- Break down these parts into the sizes of the goals you are trying to achieve. Begin with an easy, achievable goal;
- Focus on behavior instead of outcome (example: going to the gym vs. losing a certain amount of weight);
- Structure your environment to nurture change;
- Realize that small, incremental changes will add up
Resources mentioned or relevant:
- How to Win At New Year’s Resolutions blog post
- Podcast episode on failure: Why Failure is a Good Thing
- Download The Integrated App for access to audio exercises, the Catholic Mindfulness Virtual Retreat, and more.
- Join The Integrated Life Membership which gives you access to every course Dr. Greg has created, including the "Tricks to Building Habits Easily" course that walks you through the best ways to form new habits and stick to them.
- Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Being Human, to keep up with all the exciting things happening at CatholicPsych.
- For more on IDDM, Dr. Greg’s new model of treatment, visit here.
- To find out how Dr. Greg’s team can help you, click here.
- To read the CatholicPsych blog, click here.
- For resources from the CatholicPsych Institute, click here.
If there is a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address, please email your request to [email protected]! We would love to hear from you.
Rate, review, and subscribe
Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends.
Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings.
For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review”. Then type your sincere thoughts about the show!
If you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
About Dr. Greg and the CatholicPsych Institute
Dr. Bottaro is a clinical psychologist and founder of the CatholicPsych Institute. He received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, a graduate school that integrates Catholic philosophy and theology with sound, empirically validated psychology.
Before his degree, Dr. Bottaro discerned a religious vocation with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs). He lived four years in the Bronx, serving the poor in the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi. Under the mentorship of Fr. Benedict Groeschel, this experience helped him form a spirituality based on Abandonment to Divine Providence which he now applies to psychological principles in his practice. He learned from Fr. Benedict how to discern God's voice and live a life in service to others.
Six years after leaving NYC as a friar, he returned as a psychologist. The CatholicPsych Institute began there in 2012 and has since grown to 5 offices with 12 therapists serving clients around the globe.
Dr. Bottaro now lives in Connecticut with his wife Barbra and their six children. He actively avoids watching the news and spends his free time thinking up crazy new ideas on how to make the world a better place.