The Road Less Travelled

Studies show that the more you talk about your plans for a New Year's diet, the less likely you are to do it. Actually, studies show (or experts say, I can't remember) that talking a big game about any future plans makes one far less likely to take action.

I don't really know how the researchers reached their conclusions, given that it would take a mind reader to identify the folks who keep mum about their intentions. But experts are experts, and I am much more likely to believe a report issued by experts than the rantings of your average schmo down the street. So I'm assuming the carefully conducted research took into account the problems with subject identification as well as the widely held belief (okay, widely held by me) that diets just don't work.

In my own personal experience, I have found that talking about a diet is less a kiss of death than simply thinking about a diet. Just pondering the prospect of food deprivation of any kind leads me to strap on the feed bag and dig in. I take action all right, just maybe not the kind of action the voices in my head have contemplated. And, as far as I know, nobody else hears the voices in my head, so going public is generally not the problem.

Let's face it, when we come up with good intentions, those intentions are generally contrary to what we feel like doing. Dieting -- like getting organized or leaving our comfy spot on the couch to do something productive or always having enough back stock of toilet paper so that you don't have to run from bathroom to bathroom with your pants down -- takes effort. Lots of effort. And whether we talk about our plans or keep them to ourselves, the path of least resistance is far more alluring to most of us than the path of toil and trouble and elbow grease.

Given the likelihood of failure, we might as well do some talking and reap at least a few social benefits. Talking about our good intentions or just about anything has become so easy that even the shyest and most private among us can succumb to the temptation. Why wait an eternity for success at a diet and its accompanying kudos when we can take a few seconds to change a Facebook status or fire off a tweet (or write a blog) to fill everyone in the universe in on our noble plans? Without actually having to endure so much as one conversation, we are almost certain to be inundated with thumbs ups and congratulatory tweets and all other forms of cyber pats on the back.

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, I tremble to think where the road paved with bad intentions leads. I will continue to keep folks posted about my lofty hopes and dreams and, dare I say, goals. I am not taking any chances.