Why reaching self-improvement goals is so hard, and what you can do about that.
Several other social scientists believe that false-hope syndrome helps explain why people struggle to lose weight, quit smoking and exercise regularly.
About 25 percent of Americans who make New Year's resolutions abandon them within a week, according to the statistics website StatisticsBrain.com, whether it's to begin the Paleo diet, sign up for a daily yoga challenge or start a meditation practice. By February, most people have given up on their resolutions altogether.
