As you welcome the new year, you may have resolved to accomplish a specific goal or improve or change a behavior. Unfortunately, many of us find that despite our best intentions, we often have little success in attaining or maintaining our set goals. The pattern is familiar – we ring in the new year with renewed motivation and determination for a fresh start, only to find ourselves feeling discouraged and guilty a few months down the road because we fell short of attaining our goals. While it’s natural to be self-critical, research has shown that self-judgment negatively correlates with goal motivation and goal progress, thus removing us farther from our resolutions. In contrast, studies show that people with high self-compassion are more motivated to correct their errors and are more likely to confront their weaknesses and make positive changes.
