Let’s face it: New Year’s Resolutions rarely work out. We promise ourselves that this will be the year that we lose weight, eat healthier, manage our time better, do more exciting things, and so on. Only 8% of people keep their resolutions every year…meaning that a whopping 92% fail. Why is this? Why do so many people give up so quickly? Here are a few mistakes people make when making their resolutions and ways you can avoid them.
1. “All or Nothing!”
The “All or Nothing” mindset absolutely kills your goals. There is no problem with aiming high, but you have to consider what is realistically attainable. For example, resolving to cut all sugar from one’s diet is a wonderful goal in theory, but gets overwhelming once people realize how challenging it is to attain that goal. A couple small failures later, people start believing that their mistakes have already ruined their goals, and quit their resolutions.
Pursue your goals with moderation by, using the example above, maybe cutting out sodas first, then candy, then baked good. Forgive yourself for any mistakes. For example, when you’ve had a hard day and you eat some Sour Patch Kids, but you wake up in a panic the next morning remembering that moment. Accept that you lapsed, forgive yourself, and continue with your goals. The world will not stop functioning when you make a mistake, so why should you?
2. Social Norms.
In the USA, making New Year’s Resolutions is a tradition. It seems like everyone you know is making some sort of self-improvement goal for the upcoming year. I even found myself trying to craft New Year’s Resolutions when I did not wish to make any this year.
When making your resolutions, you must remember that they are for you personally. If you do not want to commit to something, do not resolve to do so out of social pressure. You can also make goals on days other than New Year’s. Waiting for January 1st can sometimes be an excuse for procrastination. Any day can be a new beginning if you allow it to be.
3. The Hard Work.
Any goal requires effort on the goal-maker's part. Those who desire to get fit must put in hours of exercise and eat as healthy as possible over time. In a world where most things are quickly and easily obtained, patience and commitment are virtues of high caliber and are necessary for any long-term changes you wish to make. Increasing at alarming rates are people who simply do not want to do anything that requires effort or extended amount of time.
Take the time. Put in the effort. Keep motivating yourself. Find fresh ways to achieve your goals. For example, if your resolution was to get better at time management and you are tired of following the same exact schedule, create a new schedule or start marking your plans with colorful stickers. As long as you are putting in work, you might as well make it fun.
Goals and resolutions are wonderful and help us push ourselves to become the best person we can be, but following them through can be tough. Do you have what it takes to rise above the statistics?