Resolutions

It is not just at new year that resolutions are made. We eat unhealthily, and resolve to eat more healthily in future. We drink too much and resolve to drink less. We allow our places of residence to become untidy or unclean, and resolve to tidy or clean more frequently. We find that we have been unproductive at work, and resolve to work more diligently. We find that we have been disorganised in our personal affairs, and resolve to be more organised. We argue with loved ones or friends, and resolve to be more understanding.

It appears as though there is a cycle of resolution, attention to subject area of the resolution, a gradual slip of that subject area from the fore of ones attention, and the slip in standards.

How long does this cycle last? How does duration vary between people? Do similar resolutions (e.g. diet resolutions) have similar durations?

How many resolutions does the average person make per year?

Does failure of a resolution weaken our resolve in keeping to others (i.e. make other resolutions more likely to fail)?

It seems that there are many interesting questions that can be asked of this subject, and perhaps a need for tools to capture the data to answer them.