[originaltext] The new year always brings with the cultural tradition of new

The new year always brings with the cultural tradition of new possibilities. We see it as a chance for renewal. We begin to dream of new possible selves. We design our ideal self or an image that is quite different from what we are now. For some of us, we roll at dreamy film in our heads just because it’s the beginning of a new year.
    But we aren’t serious about making changes. We just make some half-hearted resolution and it evaporates after a week or two. The experience makes us feel less successful and leads us to discount our ability to change in the future. It’s not the changes impossible but that it wouldn’t last unless our resolutions are supported with plans for implementation.
    We have to make our intentions manageable by detailing the specific steps that will carry us to our goal. Say your goal is to lose weight by dieting and cutting off sweets. But one night you just have to have a cookie. And you know there’s a bag of your favorites in the cupboard. You want one, you eat two, you check the bag and find out you’ve just shot 132 calories.
    You say to yourself, "What the hell!" and polish off the whole bag. Then you begin to draw all kinds of unpleasant conclusions about yourself. To protect your sense of self, you begin to discount the goal. You may think—"Well, dieting wasn’t that important to me and I won’t make it anyhow." So you abandon the goal and return to your bad habits.