Healthy Living DIY

Of course! It all depends on who your peers are!

Organizations like Weight Watchers are built on the foundations of positive peer pressure. Sure they give you a neat forumla to follow, but from what I've heard, the meetings are the heart of most people's success.

Same for the various 12-step programs. Want to stop abusing a substance? Make friends with a bunch of people who have already got the behavior you want.

Same with group fitness programs. Sure, you could get up at 6 am and go down to your basement for a work-out. But even if you've got the space and funds for your own equipment, you're more likely to be consistent if you meet a friend at the gym instead.

Most of us take great pride in our individuality. Our self-reliance. Our ability to make a choice and stick with it. All by our little selves (just ask a 3-year-old!)

Yet if you examine the evidence, we do so much better when we have friends to share the journey.

How come?

Well, a couple of reasons.

#1. Self-efficacy. (Defined by Dr. Albert Bandura as situation-specific self-confidence.) Whenever you're out to make a big change in life, you're entering new territory. When you enter new territory, it's natural to look for guidance about how to be successful -- until you master the skills for yourself.

When you're a "newbie," whether it's at getting in shape, making your first million, starting a business, making a quilt, or learning a new language, it's natural to align yourself with people who have greater self-efficacy than you do about that thing.

When you're a real self-starter, of course, you'll align yourself with successful self-starters!

#2. We're social beings. Humans, like many other species, function together in groups. We thrive on the support and encouragement of our peers. We keep going when we otherwise might have quit, often, solely based on the inspiration of others.

One of the first things people often ask me when beginning a transformative life project in our Wellness Coaching program is -- what about my friends? If you're on a mission to quit smoking and everyone around you smokes, obviously you're facing a greater challenge than if you lived and worked with non-smokers.

The solution? Expand your support network.

No need to ditch your old friends. Unless you're felon out on probation, that's much too extreme. Keep the old friends as long as you enjoy one another's company. Just add some new ones.

So ... if you're intent on keeping your New Year's Resolutions this year, what should you do?

Easy.

Create some positive peer pressure. Hook up with like-minded folks who are doing the same thing!