Tag: self-care

Realistic Goal Setting: Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail (and What Actually Works)

Posted on by David Zerella, LCSW in Uncategorized

Every January, many people set New Year’s resolutions with the hope that this will be the year they finally become more disciplined, motivated, organized, emotionally regulated, physically healthier, and financially stable.

By February, most of those goals have stalled or been abandoned.

This is not because people are lazy or lack willpower. More often, resolutions fail because goal-setting is approached from an unrealistic psychological framework.

Understanding why New Year’s resolutions fail—and how behavior change actually works—can help create more sustainable and mentally healthy goals.

The Motivation Myth in Goal Setting

One of the most common beliefs behind failed resolutions is:

“I need to be motivated to start.”

Although this belief feels intuitive, it is psychologically inaccurate. From a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) perspective, this represents an unrealistic expectation that often leads to avoidance, frustration, and self-criticism.

Motivation is not a prerequisite for action. In most cases, motivation follows behavior, not the other way around. Research in behavioral psychology consistently shows that action precedes emotional momentum.

Waiting to feel motivated before starting is similar to waiting for confidence before engaging in the behavior that builds confidence. The sequence is reversed.

Why Unrealistic Goals Lead to Burnout

In addition to relying on motivation, many people construct goals that are overly broad or rigid:

“I’m going to completely change my life.” “I’m never doing that again.” “I’m all in or nothing.”

These all-or-nothing approaches are common cognitive distortions. While they may feel decisive, they often lead to burnout and reinforce the belief that setbacks reflect personal failure.

Sustainable behavior change tends to be incremental, repetitive, and unremarkable.

One habit.

Made manageable.

Repeated imperfectly.

This is not a lack of ambition—it is a more accurate model of how long-term change occurs.

The Problem with “New Year, New Me”

Popular self-improvement narratives often suggest that meaningful change requires becoming a different person. Clinically, this framing can undermine self-efficacy by implying that the current self is insufficient to initiate growth.

From a therapeutic perspective, progress does not require reinvention. It requires consistent effort from the existing self.

Behavior change is not an identity overhaul. It is a practice.

How Self-Defeating Thoughts Sabotage Progress

Before people disengage behaviorally, they often disengage cognitively. Self-defeating beliefs typically precede avoidance.

Common examples include:

“I need to feel motivated to start.” “I should be further along by now.” “If I can’t do it perfectly, what’s the point?”

Although these thoughts may feel true, they tend to increase psychological pressure, reduce distress tolerance, and make quitting more likely.

A Rational Alternative to Motivation-Based Change

REBT emphasizes replacing unhelpful beliefs with rational, flexible alternatives that support persistence:

“I do not need to feel motivated to act.” “I can tolerate discomfort.” “I can improve one small thing at a time.” “Effort itself has value.”

This is not positive thinking or affirmation-based work. It is cognitive restructuring grounded in behavioral principles.

Progress is built through daily effort and consistency, especially when motivation is low.

Practical, Realistic Goal Setting Strategies

For individuals seeking healthier and more effective goal setting, the following principles are supported by behavioral psychology and clinical practice:

Focus on behaviors rather than outcomes Choose one habit instead of multiple simultaneous changes Expect discomfort and plan for it rather than avoiding it Measure success by follow-through, not intensity

Less pressure.

More discipline.

Smaller steps.

This approach does not lower standards—it places them where they are psychologically sustainable.

Keywords targeted: realistic goal setting, New Year’s resolutions and mental health, motivation and behavior change, REBT therapy, behavior change psychology, self-discipline vs motivation

Home for the Holidays: Handling Family Stress

Posted on by David Zerella, LCSW in Uncategorized

The holidays have a funny way of amplifying everything—joy, nostalgia, expectations, and yes… family stress. Old roles resurface, familiar buttons get pushed (often expertly), and suddenly you’re reacting like you’re 14 again instead of the well-adjusted adult you worked so hard to be.

The goal isn’t to eliminate stress or conflict entirely (good luck with that!). It’s to manage it in a way that protects your energy, your values, and your sanity—while still allowing for connection, meaning, and maybe even a little fun.

Here are a few grounded (and realistic) ways to get through it:

1. Set boundaries for yourself

Have a game plan for how you want things to go. Boundaries aren’t about controlling other people. They’re about deciding what you will participate in.

This can look like:

  • Having a firm plan for how long you’ll stay somewhere
  • Deciding in advance, “If things escalate or get draining, I’m leaving”
  • Giving yourself permission to step away without over-explaining

Instead of trying to convince others to behave differently, you’re setting parameters for your own behavior. This shifts boundaries from confrontational to self-protective—and that’s usually far more effective.

2. Some conflict is okay (even during the holidays)

The holidays aren’t a conflict-free zone, and they don’t need to be.

People need feedback. If someone is pressuring you, ignoring your limits, or resorting to guilt, it’s reasonable to name what’s happening. You don’t have to shut down, explode, or silently endure it.

Sometimes the most regulated response sounds like:

  • “I’m not going to participate in this conversation.”
  • “That feels like guilt, and I’m opting out.”
  • “I’m open to talking, but not like this.”

Not everyone realizes their behavior is rude—or manipulative—or crossing a line. And even if they do, you’re allowed to acknowledge it in real time. I’m not a big believer in pretending things aren’t happening. You can “let them” do what they’re going to do and still name it.

3. Look for what you like. (Focus on the Fun)

When stress rises, attention narrows. We fixate on what’s annoying, uncomfortable, or disappointing. Focus less on who deserves coal and more on who deserves your presence 😉 

Intentionally look for:

  • People you genuinely enjoy talking to
  • Small moments of calm 
  • Opportunities for humor
  • Environmental pleasures (quiet snow, lights, a warm drink, the family pet)

This isn’t denial—it’s balance. You can acknowledge what’s hard and still orient toward what’s pleasant. Don’t just focus on the problem; focus on the fun, however small or fleeting it may be.

4. Keep nurturing your needs daily

Sacrifice is part of relationships. Losing yourself entirely is not.

Continue doing things that regulate you:

  • Reading
  • Exercising
  • Writing
  • Listening to music…that’s not Mariah Carey (unless that’s your thing—no judgment)

The holidays don’t require you to pause your identity or abandon the habits that keep you grounded. Protecting your energy isn’t selfish—it’s preventative care.

5. Lower the expectation bar (just a little or..)

Many people arrive at holiday gatherings with an unspoken script: This should be meaningful, memorable, peaceful, and deeply connecting.

That’s a lot of pressure.

Sometimes success looks like:

  • No major blowups
  • A few decent conversations
  • Leaving with your nervous system mostly intact
  • Advocating for yourself 

Connection doesn’t have to be profound to be real. Let “good enough” count.

6. Remember: you don’t have to process everything in the moment.

Just because you notice something doesn’t mean it needs to be resolved over mashed potatoes.

Some insights are best saved for:

  • Later reflection
  • Therapy
  • A journal
  • A walk the next day

You’re allowed to observe without immediately engaging. Not every realization needs an audience.

Final Thought

The holidays don’t magically change family dynamics—they just put them under brighter lights. The aim isn’t perfection or total harmony. It’s showing up in a way that aligns with your values, protects your well-being, and leaves room for moments of connection where they naturally exist.

And if all else fails? You can always step outside, take a deep breath, and remind yourself: This is temporary.

The Presence of the Positive 

Posted on by David Zerella, LCSW in Uncategorized

I often tell clients to look for the presence of a positive, not merely the absence of a negative.

It’s an important shift. Our minds are wired to scan for what’s missing, unsafe, or imperfect—an evolutionary survival skill that doesn’t always serve us in modern life. Gratitude reframes that instinct. It invites us to focus on what we have instead of what we don’t, on what is rather than what’s lacking.

Progress Isn’t a Destination

We tend to measure our lives by how far we are from some imagined ideal—some future point where everything is optimized, organized, perfected. But progress is an asymptote; it never fully touches perfection. Growth doesn’t happen by crossing a finish line. It happens in small, steady increments that accumulate into something meaningful.

Gratitude helps us notice those increments.

It reminds us that even when the big picture feels unfinished, movement is still happening.

What We Once Wanted, We Now Have (Understanding Hedonistic Adaptation)

This is where something called hedonistic adaptation becomes important.

Hedonistic adaptation is a psychological process in which we quickly get used to positive changes in our lives—no matter how exciting or meaningful they initially felt. Our emotional baseline creeps back to “normal,” and the new good thing becomes… ordinary.

It’s why we crave something intensely, feel a surge of happiness when we get it, and then, after a while, barely notice it.

Two years ago, I really wanted that new car. Now it’s just… my car.

A new phone arrives with enthusiasm—and within months it becomes an extension of daily routine.

Gratitude gives us a counterweight to that drift.

It lets us briefly look back—not to dwell, but to appreciate.

It helps us recognize the dreams we’ve already achieved, the goals we’ve quietly fulfilled, and the ways our lives have improved even if we no longer feel the initial spark.

We don’t have to cling to the past, but we can let it reorient us toward appreciation.

Being Here, Now

At its core, gratitude is an anchor to presence.

It’s a gentle interruption of the mind’s tendency to chase the next thing, the next fix, the next improvement. When we shift attention to what exists in this moment—what is steady, what is working, what is simply here—we create space for a kind of flow state. Not a performative productivity flow, but a grounded, embodied one.

Sometimes gratitude is big and inspirational.

Sometimes it’s small and quiet.

And sometimes it’s simply acknowledging that we’re still standing—that existence itself is a positive when so many things could have knocked us down.

A Simple Invitation

This week, try noticing one presence of a positive each day.

Not what’s missing.

Not what needs fixing.

Just one thing already here that speaks to growth, resilience, or quiet abundance.

Gratitude won’t erase the hard things, but it can re-balance them.

It reminds us that even amidst struggle, there are moments worth recognizing—moments that show how far we’ve already come.