LIVE FOR THE MOMENT

If you’re finding it hard to stick to your 2022 health resolution, don’t panic: researchers have found that dropping it may be a natural and positive step. By investigating why people drop their New Year fitness goals, the scientists were trying to analyse the theoretical conflict between the two ‘selves’ within each of us: the ‘planner’ who stays firmly in charge of self-control, and the ‘doer’ who reacts spontaneously to the temptations of the moment. The usual suggestion is that people want to suppress their spontaneous self and get more organised, which takes a lot of conscious effort. But the researchers found that most people actually enjoy their own spontaneity as much as they enjoy their self-control, so they feel happy to adopt a mix of the two approaches.

In the research, which was published in Behavioural Public Policy, most participants thought it was good to make long-term plans, but also to enjoy spontaneous treats along the way. It wasn’t seen as a conflict, more a question of balance. This suggests it may be more natural to embrace both tactics, rather than spend every day trying to stay in control. Yes, being spontaneous may cause you to eat that cake, but it could also cause you to go for a spur-of-the-moment morning jog, or to try a new class at the gym. Mixing good planning with a sprinkle of spontaneity seems to be the best psychological route to success.