At this point of the year, most people have already ditched their new years resolutions. February comes along, many have given up and say they’ll try their resolution again next year. The question is, why does everyone give up so early??
In the span of the year, there’s 52 weeks, and maybe you messed up your resolution for 4 of them. So why not just try to get back on track the next day? It is so common for people to consider the entire resolution a failure and just stop it entirely. But, the entire point of a new years resolution is to better yourself. It is not something that happens overnight or in the span of a week, rather it actually takes time to develop good habits.
Expectations are a huge issue. People crave to see results. If you’re working out hard in the gym, and not seeing results immediately, it can be hard to keep going. Once you can physically see your progress, it becomes easier to motivate yourself. But until the progress becomes apparent, you have to push yourself to go. I'll tell you something that most people won't. (it might suck) You might feel the need to hit snooze on your alarm and try again tomorrow. But push yourself. Pick a day, and force yourself up. Honestly, you might hate getting up earlier than usual to fit a good workout in, but afterwards you will feel great. You’ll feel naturally energized, and ready to take on the day.
Another problem is how we look at resolutions. They don’t have to start at the beginning of every year. The whole “new year, new me” idea is ridiculous. Changing of the calendar year has nothing to do with the changing of yourself. So if you make a resolution just to fit in with everyone else – you will not be able to follow it. In order to really make a resolution stick, you have to want it for yourself.
Resolutions usually don’t last is because we think of it as a negative thing if we break them. While it is not ideal to break a resolution, it is going to happen at least once. But, we need to change the way we look at resolutions. They should be looked at as a positive. For example, if your resolution is to "lose weight", change it to "getting in better shape". This way, it is not dictated by a scale or a mirror, but by how you feel. And ultimately, that is more important than any number on a scale or pair of jeans.
Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t accomplish your goal every single day. It’s okay. No one is perfect and change isn’t done overnight. It takes time to develop new healthy habits, and everyone has their ups and downs. For example, eating pizza and ice cream one night doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you a human. No, it's obviously not ideal, but everyone has a moment of weakness. Everyone makes mistakes and struggles on their way to success. If you want to make a big change, it is not going to come as easily as you want, so don’t be disappointed if you struggle with it at first.
Unrealistic resolutions are one of the biggest reasons why people stop their new goals. If you know that you don’t have enough time to workout every day, then don’t make it your goal to do that. Making a goal that you know you cannot keep is not a good idea, because you won’t magically be able to accomplish it.
I know that resolutions are hard, and that most people tend to chose ones that sound really great and life changing, but are not all that easy to do. It is important to stay true to yourself when you make new goals. While you can change bad habits, don’t overwhelm yourself with so many that it becomes impossible. Here are some easy goals that anyone could do, even college kids that live on campus:
-A small act of kindness every week
-Saying “no” if you need to
-Save your money
-Appreciate small gestures
-Call your family more often
-Put your phone away when with family or friends
These are not complex, and can be totally free. These are great because they can just take a moment to accomplish. Hold the door for strangers, smile more, or buy your roommate their favorite coffee. They're all small gestures, but could positively impact someone else, and make you feel good in the process. It is important to remember to do what makes you happy as well as bettering yourself.
While the point of a “new years resolution” is to start it on January 1st, you can start a resolution any day you want. So don’t give up and wait to change your habits, start ASAP and be positive. Whenever you decide to start to make a change for the better, remember to stay calm, change one behavior at a time, and remember that it will take time to see progress and adapt to healthy changes.
