New Year’s Resolutions
Časi: postavi glagol v oklepaju v ustrezno obliko (active and pasive). /Verb forms: put the verbs in brackets into the correct form (active and passive).
The origin of making New Year’s resolutions rests with the Babylonians, who reportedly made promises to the gods in hopes they _______________ (3 EARN) good favor in the coming year. They often resolved to get out of debt [source: History].
Sounds familiar? Many of us _______________ (4 STILL/MAKE) that resolution today. So what’s the secret to keeping it? Turns out, simply wanting to change is not enough; you need to make it stick. One way to do this is to share your resolution with others.
“When you keep resolutions a secret, no one is going to check up on you. You’re only accountable to yourself,” says Joe Ferrari, professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. He says that a party to publicly share your resolutions is an admirable way to ring in the New Year. Social media offers another avenue to let others in on your goals.
Once you _______________ (5 INVOLVE) others in your resolutions, what steps can you take to ensure that when they do check up on you, you have something positive to report? Here’s some advice from the experts.
The success of your New Year’s resolutions starts with your head. Limiting yourself to a few resolutions, maybe even one, and being specific are a few things to keep in mind, says Michael Kitchens, assistant professor of psychology at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. “It’s tempting to make a list of ‘to-dos,’ but that list will easily be overwhelming and you will end up frustrated.”
_______________ (6 SET) a specific goal can make all the difference, such as “I want to lose 10 pounds by March 1” or “I want to save $50 of each paycheck.”
“Set a goal that is challenging, but manageable,” says Kitchens. “This is a sensitive balance that really can only be made by each person.”
Overly ambitious goals can drain a person’s confidence when they _______________ (7 NOT MEET), agrees Ferrari. Instead, build on small, observable victories and possibly achieve bigger goals down the line. “Don’t try and do everything,” he says. “Take things on one at a time.”
Whatever goals you do tackle, be sure to monitor your progress. “If your resolution is to lose weight, check your weight regularly. If it’s to save money, write down where you’ve spent your money. Monitoring those few, challenging goals you set will dramatically improve your success rate,” Ferrari says. Sometimes, just the act of recording everything you eat or spend can cause you to eat or spend less even if you _______________ (8 NOT CHANGE) anything else consciously.
Many resolutions include overcoming bad habits, such as smoking, overeating or too much alcohol consumption. These could be tough because they are easy to rely on when stressed out.
“While these vices are especially difficult to overcome, they can _______________ (9 BEAT),” says Kitchens. “One of the best ways is to have a social support system.” In other words, when you’re feeling stressed, call a friend rather than open a bottle of red wine.
Whatever your New Year goals, give yourself some time to make them a reality. More time than you may have planned on, actually. While most people cling to the widespread belief that new habits can be formed in 21 days, new research is suggesting we need a longer timetable. One recent study found it took participants an average of 66 days to do something different — and stick with it.
Author’s Note
Although I doubt I’ll keep them all (haven’t yet), I’ll still make resolutions this New Year’s Eve. After researching this article, though, I will be doing one thing differently. This year, instead of sweeping goals that probably _______________ (10 NOT COME) to fruition, I’m going to divide them into more manageable pieces. Experts say I’ll be more successful with goals that have easily identifiable steps — and a reasonable timeframe in which to do them.
(Adapted from people.howstuffworks.com on 19 December 2016)
Rešitve naloge / Answer Key
