I Don’t Believe in New Year’s Resolutions

 

Mountain Mom and Baby L on a snow hike  I Don’t Believe in New Year’s Resolutions

I don’t believe in New Years Resolutions. Research by Psychology professor JC Norcross shows that only 77 percent of people kept their New Year’s Resolutions for one week. One week! Only 19 percent were still at it two years later. That’s a failure rate of 81 percent.

So why do so many people make New Years Resolutions if they’re statistically likely to fail? Well, another study by Norcross finds that “Resolvers reported higher rates of success [at weight loss, smoking cessation and exercise programs] than nonresolvers; at six months, 46% of the resolvers were continuously successful compared to 4% of the nonresolvers.”

There is power in attempting to change one’s behavior. Change never happens if you don’t try, but just declaring that the next year will be better in a specific area of life doesn’t work.I Don't Believe in New Years Resolutions

Why doesn’t it work?

A few years ago I read the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. In it he discusses the research behind habits and how change really comes to be. Often we focus on getting results instead of changing our habits.

I believe in making goals. I write down specific, measureable actions and give myself a deadline for accomplishing them. But I focus on small things I can do over a short period of time and I allow myself flexibility. I try to create a new habit instead of only looking for results.

Often if we skip a workout, stay up another hour or have another cigarette when we’re trying to quit, we feel like all hope is lost. That’s it. I’m a total failure.

I’ve found that instead of feeling guilty about each slip up, it might just be time to change the goal or habit.

Mountain Mom Quilting

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National Park to Park Highway – Best Outdoor Adventure 2016

Best Outdoor Adventure 2016

With the end of 2016 quickly approaching I’ve been looking back at our family’s best outdoor adventures we enjoyed. I realized pretty quickly that all of our great adventures of 2016 can be summed up into one great adventure – Traveling the National Park to Park Highway

As most of you know 2016 was the 100th anniversary of the US National Park Service. To celebrate, my family traveled along the historic National Park to Park Highway visiting 23 National Parks and Monuments in the western US in seven weeks.

Baby L on the National Park to Park Highway
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100 Tips for Teaching Kids to Ski

What’s the best way to teach kids to ski? Should you put your child in lessons or teach them yourself? You could spend hours searching the internet for the best tips and tricks, but now you don’t have to! I’ve done it for you, compiling the best articles that offer over 100 Tips for Teaching Kids to Ski.

You’re welcome.

100 Tips for Teaching Kids to Ski Pin

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Fifty Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids

Mountain Mom winter hiking with Baby L

Outdoor Winter Activities

Winter is my favorite season because I get to do my favorite activity – snowboard. However, winter is also cold. If you’re like me you need some extra motivation to get out the door in the winter, especially with tots. Outdoor winter activities for kids don’t have to be fancy or require special equipment, they just need to get you outside. Continue reading “Fifty Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids”