"I'm going to lose weight."
"I'm going to get a better career."
"I'm going to be less stressed."
"I'm going to help those in need."
As 2016 comes to a close and 2017 appears, millions of people all over the world will be making these resolutions and many more in order to better themselves and those around them. Sounds great, doesn't it? So how come the gyms that were packed in January are empty again in February? How come donations to animal shelters and homeless shelters seem to disappear just as fast as the holidays do? Why will many people spend the next 364 days complaining about their job or school? While the idea behind making a resolution is great, they don't actually work.
Resolutions are usually too broad or general, making them unrealistic and really hard to follow through on. Losing weight is a great idea, but what's the amount of weight you're looking to lose? Finding a better job sounds like a great idea, too, but what type of job are you looking for specifically? It sounds cliche, but when you state smaller goals that you can achieve in a week or two, the chances of you actually accomplishing them is much greater than just telling yourself a dream that's really vague. So if you're looking to lose weight, say that you want to lose 3 pounds in a week. If you want to get more organized, say that you'll tackle one room in your house each weekend. If you want to quit smoking, cut the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day by one or two. The smaller the goal, the easier it is to follow through.
However, following through also seems to be a problem with New Year's resolutions. Words are easy to say, actions are harder to do, and it really depends on how badly you want to change. Again, smaller and daily goals don't seem as difficult, but it's still easy to fall into old habits. If you can find a way to make it fun and enjoyable to work towards your goals, that always helps. Exercising while watching TV, getting a group of friends together to volunteer at a soup kitchen, and rewarding yourself at the end of each day that you kept your patience with others are all common ways to stick to your goals without even realizing it. Sooner or later, these will become your new habits and you'll find yourself looking forward to them. And if you have a bad day or a "cheat day" when you didn't eat so healthy, you picked up a cigarette, or you didn't feel like being productive at all, don't let that stop you. One bad day doesn't impact anything unless you let it. Tomorrow's a new day.
What always makes me laugh is how January 1st of every year seems to be the only day that you can make a difference. It's like the other 364 days are useless; you can't change anything unless it's January 1st. If that's the way you view resolutions, then you're wasting a lot of time. You don't need to wait for New Year's Day to start changing something. Apply for a new job in October, quit drinking in March, and donate old clothes in August. Spend all twelve months making a difference like you would during the first month. Every day is the opportunity to make a change for the better, so make sure January 2nd is just as promising as January 1st.
