It seems like every New Year's we are obsessed with having some sort of "New Years Resolution." Sure, it's fine to want to change yourself for the better, but this tradition always seems to end in failure. Afterwards, we always put whatever lofty goals we made off until next year. It can be a vicious cycle. The idea of breaking one's New Year's resolution has become so commonplace, that it makes one wonder why we keep the tradition around.
Still, the idea of having a fresh start to the new year is heavily idolized and treasured by many people. And why not? Getting a clean slate is wonderful. So a lot of people are still going to be inclined to make some sort of resolution or promise to themselves, yet many will not follow through. But why does that matter anyway? Well, obviously when you can't fulfill whatever promises you've made to yourself it makes you feel bad. It may leave one feeling weak and unable to reach goals.
Often times though it's not the goal that is the problem, but it's the size of it and how you approach it. For example, if you are trying to lose a bunch of weight beginning at the start of the new year, but don't know what foods are healthy or what exercises are the best for you, you will have a hard time reaching your goal. If you want to fix your finances but don't want to cut out unnecessary purchases, then you are setting yourself up for failure. Also, If you go into trying to improve something with large aspirations but little ability to follow through, then you need to work on your dedication first. If you have a hard time following up with things or procrastinating, then maybe working on such negative habits should be your resolution instead.
It is also worth noting that nothing great comes overnight. Rather it's a makeup of little successes over time. If you really want to make significant changes then you should focus on improving the little things in everyday life. Take each day at a time and don't worry about how perfect you want things to be by the end of the year. Instead, just try to make small improvements and build off of them as time goes on. It may not be easy either, so don't get discouraged if you find yourself dealing with setbacks or mistakes. It's ok because we are human and nothing great was ever achieved without a few mistakes along the way.
So as the New Year approaches and you plan on what you want to improve, make sure you know what you are doing. Understand that those big goals are reached by little successes overtime, and setbacks can and will happen. Make sure you are really ready to make a commitment to improving your life no matter what it is. Even though New Year's resolutions are notorious for failure, it doesn't mean yours has to be. In fact, you don't even have to wait until January 1st. You can work on changes anytime you want. Honestly, you really don't need a yearly tradition to push you into realizing new goals. Every day is a new day, after all.
