New Year Resolutions: 3 Tips from Science

1. KEEP IT TO YOURSELF: Because, announcing your goal gives you a “premature sense of completeness", and you are less likely to work hard towards achieving it, according to a study - When Intentions Go Public - by New York University professor Peter M. Gollwitzer. (Via)2. KEEP IT SMALL: Because, small things - such as doing 10 push ups as soon as you wake up, or playing guitar for 3 minutes everyday - are more likely to become a habit, says Stanford professor BJ Fogg. Check out his site tinyhabits (Via)3. KEEP YOUR COOL: Because, a relapse of an old habit doesn't mean it's the end of the world. "It's like learning to ride a bicycle. Almost everybody falls at least once," Alan Marlatt says. If you fail once, pick yourself up, fight the abstinence violation effect and keep going.And, one more, KEEP A SCORECARD: Because, Hawthorne Effect suggests you'll do better when you are being monitored. (The Nike Experiment: How the Shoe Giant Unleashed the Power of Personal Metrics | Wired)Have a great 2013!