“Clinical psychologist Dr. John Petersen with Family Psychology of South Bend joined us to discuss New Years resolutions and maintaining and improving mental health.”
– Lindsay Stone, WNDU News Anchor
New Year’s Resolutions can be an auspicious occasion to commit to a life change or a playful way to try on a new routine. In the counseling context, we often clarify the value behind the New Year’s goal and then discuss carefully the difference between a goal and a plan. A plan is essential. Any goal with no plan is more of an aspiration with a high chance of yielding disappointment.
In the first Wellness Wednesday of 2020 Lindsay Stone asked me to speak about how to keep resolutions. It was a timely topic, but I think of resolutions in terms of habit formation. In this interview, I tried to share some research on habit formation the viewer might be able to put to use immediately.