Victoria resident Chelsey Cordell is saying pasta la vista to boring New Year’s resolutions by doing a “pasta quest”, where she commits to eating as many different types of pasta as she can in a year.
“My goal is to be able to go to Italy (eventually) and know what each type of pasta is on the menu,” she said.
New Year’s resolutions often revolve around similar priorities: fitness and mental health were the top two resolution priorities based on a Forbes survey in 2023 and 2024 for instance. Other common themes included diets, losing weight, and improving finances.
But resolutions that can improve mental health or life satisfaction can go beyond hitting the gym. Adopting a more holistic approach to 2024 goals can involve commitments to enrich areas of life such as relationships, personal growth, and in Cordell’s case, having fun while exploring food and culture.
“I just don’t like making resolutions that are health or fitness related because there’s so much to life. I try to make resolutions that I can stick to throughout the year because I actually get joy out of them. The year before last, I tried to pet as many different dog breeds as I could and that was really fun. I stopped keeping track after a while but I learned about a lot of different kinds of dogs,” she said.
Creative resolutions that improve one’s life could include things like making commitments to go on a date once a month with a partner, doing a weekly outdoor outing with the kids, or trying a new hobby.
“We are so lucky living in Canada with all the advantages that brings and opportunities for recreation and fitness,” said Dr. Tim Stockwell, a professor in psychology at UVic.
The bottom line is that goal setting allows us to “take a little control in this difficult and turbulent world,” Stockwell said.
For those who have trouble following through on New Year’s resolutions, you are not alone.
The majority of those polled by Forbes maintained their resolutions between two and three months, but not beyond four months, and only a slim one per cent kept them for a year.
This year, only 20 per cent of respondents said they keep themselves accountable when it comes to sticking to their goals, a massive drop compared to last year’s survey (77 per cent).
Setting goals that are fun can improve the outcome, such as in Cordell’s case.
Stockwell also suggests toeing the line by planning to give oneself rewards once some goals are met.
“You might reward yourself with some treat, like a nice meal or evening out, using the money saved if you’ve cut down drinking or smoking, for instance” he said.
Psychological factors, including triggers or cues, can contribute to the success or failure of New Year’s resolutions and goals, Stockwell said.
“It’s good to anticipate these and plan coping strategies in advance. We all experience negative emotions and setbacks from time to time.”
“One slip doesn’t mean we have to abandon those goals. Keeping a short daily diary of your progress and experiences each day is one way of keeping things in perspective and learning as you go,” he added.
Cordell said she has been taking photos of the pasta dishes and is thinking of keeping a journal or making a bingo card.
“Something fun!” she said.
Her goal is to aim to eat 40 types of pasta.
It’s a great reminder that at the end of the day, New Year’s resolutions can be full of pasta-bilities.
READ MORE: To resolve is to be human, to break resolutions is human too