When I think of New Year, I think of New Year’s Resolutions. Honestly, this starts to give me anxiety. It seems that most resolutions are BIG and vague. The thought can seem so daunting especially when you think about the statistic that only 8% of people keep their resolutions. How can you be one of the 8%?
New Year’s is a time for a fresh start. It is the beginning of a new year and seems like a great time to make a change. Don’t be discouraged when you hear the statistics. Take that motivation and make a change. Try these tips to make a lasting new years resolution as we explore why most resolutions fail.
There are several reasons that only 8% of people keep their resolutions. It is not that everyone is lazy and unmotivated. There are many factors that go into the struggle to keep up with a resolution.
Resolutions are too big.
It is easy to make a BIG change for a short time. We often struggle with big changes after a few weeks. That is because we do not have the motivation to keep them going. As an example, if you were told that you would die if you did not radically change your diet, you would easily have the motivation to change your diet. The consequences of failing are far greater than the struggle to keep up with your change. Most of us do not have such drastic motivation backing us up.
Start small and work up. It takes 30 days to make a habit. You do not have to complete your resolution by the end of January. Maybe your resolution is to wake up an hour earlier every day so that you can accomplish things in the morning before you go to work. That is an excellent resolution but may be difficult to maintain after a few days. One way to combat this issue is to start small and work your way up. In this example, you could start waking up 15 minutes earlier for one week and work your way up to an hour.
In summary, take manageable chunks. This way you will feel like you are making progress and will be less likely to quit in the middle. We all like to feel like we can do what we have set out to do.
Resolutions are too vague.
Deciding that you want to get healthy is not specific enough. We function best when we have very specific steps to take. We can easily get lost in the vagueness and get sidetracked. Being vague also leaves lots of room for us to make excuses.
We need to make very specific and actionable goals. Check out my post on SMART goals. One way to do this is to specify your actions. If my resolution is to be healthier I am going to break that down into actions. For example, I am going to eat 5 servings of vegetables every day. Five days a week I am going to do at least 30 minutes of exercise. Lastly, I will keep track of the food I eat in my fitness app.
When I make very specific goals I do not have room to wiggle out of my resolution. I am my own worst enemy. I can easily talk myself into or out of anything. Just like I am sure you can as well. You know the exact right words to say to yourself to make whatever you are thinking about sound like a good idea. It is much more difficult to talk myself out of a goal when I have specifically laid it out.
We have not defined our Why.
This might seem silly but when it becomes tough to stick with your resolution you need a why worth sticking to. This means that we need to define why we are making our resolutions. Our why needs to be specific and focused. It also helps to make a why that adds feelings. Because getting healthy and weight loss are often big resolutions I will focus on that as an example.
So maybe my goal is to get healthy and lose weight this year. I need to be specific with my why. Start brainstorming. My clothes will fit better. I will have more energy. I will feel better in my skin. This is a great opportunity to list everything that your resolution will help with. If you have a health problem that will be helped by your resolution list. The more specific and more focused on your 5 senses the easier it will be to stick to your why.
Why’s need to be personal? The more personal you can be, the easier it will be. My why will likely not work for you just like your why will likely not work for me. Sometimes it can be helpful to imagine what it would feel like to complete your resolution this year. While you are imagining this, list all of the things that you are imagining. What do you see and feel?
We give up.
After a few weeks, we lose our motivation. It is cold outside and the days are short. We simply lose that spark we had on January 1st. There are several ways to fight against this. First, give yourself a pep talk. Set reminders as time goes on so you remember why you are making your resolutions.
More than being your own cheerleader get a partner. Your partner doesn’t have to have the same resolution that you do but they are there to provide accountability. Pick someone that will tell you how it is. Someone that will give you a little push in the right direction when you begin to slack. There is always power in numbers. I find that I convince myself to do anything but it is a lot harder to convince my partner that it is a good idea to skip today’s workout or that ice cream would make an excellent dinner selection. Aside from having someone to help you stay accountable, they will be a great cheerleader to encourage you along the way.
We forget to celebrate.
Don’t wait until you have reached your end goal. Celebrate the small things along the way. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds in 3 months then celebrate each week that you meet your workout goals and your nutrition goals. We all need encouragement along the way.
We focus too far into the future.
It is no secret that I am impatient. Thinking about a year away is far too long for me. That seems almost impossible to me. I suggest focussing on the day at hand. It can easily be overwhelming to think that for the rest of your life you are going to have to work out every single day. Wow, that makes me stressed just thinking about it. No need to panic, you only need to focus on your next decision and your next day.
Going back to our being a healthy resolution. Focus on one meal at a time. If it is breakfast then I can choose to have a breakfast smoothie over a donut. I only need to make one decision at a time. Or I can choose to work out today and not think about it again until tomorrow. Just focus on the next decision that gets you closer to your goal.
Going along with that, be kind to yourself. You are not perfect and will likely make a mistake or stray off of the path that leads to your goal. It is ok, take a deep breath and get back on track. Tomorrow is a new day and every decision is a new decision.
We forget to prepare.
This might sound strange since I just said that we focus too far into the future. Success is a lot easier when you plan ahead. Sit down and look at your goals. What can you do ahead of time to be successful? If my goal is to get up earlier in the morning then I might plan ahead by going to bed a little bit earlier. Perhaps my goal is to eat 5 servings of vegetables a day. In order to do this I should ensure that I go to the grocery store to purchase vegetables that I enjoy eating. Many of us have a goal of working out. If this were my goal I would set out my workout clothes the night before and have a workout plan in place for my next workout. Planning ahead gives us the chance to take away many of our excuses.
I hope that some of these tips will help you to be in the 8% of people that are able to keep their New Year’s resolutions. Everyone has the power to keep their resolutions, you just need to be prepared. Happy New Year!
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