Posting Your New Year's Resolution On FB Can Help You Stick To It, So Share Away
How do New Year's resolutions get forgotten so quickly? Every year, we all decide we're going to do something to improve our lives or ourselves, but by March (or earlier), we often find ourselves back to our old ways. One way that I try to stay on top of my resolutions is by writing them down — but even then, they sometimes get buried in my Notes app or my journal, not to be seen again until November, when I desperately try to make up for all of the lost time. But new data shows that keeping your New Year's resolution might be easier if you share it on Facebook. So feel free to flood your News Feed with all of those updates on your fitness goals or reviews of the books you finished.
According to a recent survey conducted by Facebook, sharing your resolutions with others can increase your chances of accomplishing them. This is great news for over-sharers like me, and not-so-great news for my Facebook friends — apologies in advance!
According to an email from Facebook, the survey found that those who shared their New Year's resolution on Facebook were 36 percent more likely to stick to it. Additionally, 52 percent of those surveyed agreed that sharing their resolutions with others is helpful when it comes to accomplishing them. In my experience, saying (or posting) things out loud definitely makes them feel more real. Plus, if other people know about a goal you're trying to achieve, it may motivate you to keep working at it so you can provide future updates on your progress.
Only 3 percent of everyone surveyed said that they always achieve their resolutions. This is a bummer, but definitely not surprising. No matter what your resolutions are, winter can make them difficult to accomplish. The limited daylight, the cold, and the anticipation of spring and summer can make it difficult to focus on self-improvement.
Now, this doesn't mean that you should feel pressured to share your resolutions and every single step forward or backward in achieving them. Keeping your resolutions private is totally normal, and can be an important act of self-preservation. There's definitely a certain level of pressure when it comes to sharing online.
But if you're looking for an extra motivator — or if you want to widen your support system — definitely consider sharing your resolutions on social media. Whichever platform is most important to you should indicate which would be the best place to share.
Not everyone strikes out when it comes to New Year's resolutions. In the days leading up to NYE, Twitter users were sharing their accomplished 2017 resolutions, and they totally inspired others to go for theirs in 2018.
One user named Kayla served up a ton of new year inspo when she shared her accomplished resolutions, including visiting some new states, finding her passion, and losing weight. TBH, I'm super proud and super inspired. Thanks, Kayla!
She even shared a resolution that she accomplished, but wound up reversing. Kayla proved that it's okay for your resolutions to change throughout the year — the important thing is to at least try for them before you change your mind. And if things don't go as planned, that's okay to share, too — because no one is perfect.
Reading about everyone's resolutions is super inspiring to me, so shout out to everyone who shared all of their amazing accomplishments. And an early shout out to everyone planning to share their 2018 resolutions on social media. Who knows, maybe I'll even share my own. Whether or not you choose to share, best of luck in all of your endeavors! We've got this.
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