It’s been shown that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February, despite our best efforts to maintain them. Each new year, we are faced with the pressure to make fresh resolutions and start the process all over again, presumably knowing very well that we’ll fail to keep them throughout the year. But why is it so hard for us to stick to them?
Here are a few reasons…
1. You don’t resonate with your goals
It’s important that you fully understand why you have chosen the resolution that you have, in order for you to maintain it. If you understand how the New Year’s resolution will impact your life, what it will change about you, etcetera, then it will help you recognize what you need to do in order to implement your goals. If you have picked a resolution arbitrarily, one that doesn’t reflect something genuine of yourself, you likely will not put in the required effort to keep it.
2. You feel overwhelmed
Most people don’t know where to start when it comes to tackling their New Year’s resolutions. Often times, the concept of a goal seems to be a daunting commitment that most aren’t ready to make. This causes individuals to give up on their resolutions because they feel like they don’t know how they’ll reach their goals. What may prove to be helpful, is if you write a list of steps that you need to take, or comprise a plan which will help you achieve exactly what you set out to do. It’s important, especially with health-related goals, that if you don’t see results immediately, to realize that it doesn’t mean that you are failing. The most important part of a resolution is the growth and progress you experience while attempting to reach your goal.
3. You take on too much
Individuals often set themselves several New Year’s resolutions for the year, thinking that they are going to change multiple aspects of themselves. However, this may prove to be more unproductive than productive, as it can cause us to lose sight of our ambitions and become unmotivated. One might find it advantageous to pick one or two goals to focus their energy and attention on so that they have a better chance of sticking to them.
When you’re feeling down due to a lack of motivation or commitment, remember that you set up these goals for a reason. Take a step back, adjust if you feel that any of these three reasons are negatively impacting your progress, and re-assess in order to make those intentions a reality. Let’s all continue to crush our New Year’s resolutions, one day at a time.