The holiday season is over and New Year’s Eve is around the corner. You hear everyone making resolutions and promises for a new year. You find yourself asking what should my resolutions be? Should I make any? In my option, no.
A New Year’s resolution is a promise a person makes for the new year. The importance behind making a resolution is to improve the coming year. Wanting to improve yourself in the new year is a wonderful mindset though making grand promises isn’t going to be effective. There’s always a way that we can improve and grow. Reflect on the past year and see what you can do to have a better upcoming year.
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I feel it’s better to not set yourself up for failure. Therefore I make goals that are short-term and will show results. I usually have high expectations and when I don’t achieve them I become hard on myself. That’s not what I want for myself in the new year. I’ve made resolutions before that have ended in failure mostly because that goal was too huge and my heart was not in it. I’ve tried to say “I’ll go to the gym this year.” Though the very moment I said the words I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I hate the gym. I’ve tried many times and it’s something that doesn’t work for me. I would make the resolution because I knew it was good for me but something I really didn’t want to do.
I realized it was better to set smaller goals that I can achieve. Sometimes so small that it might even be for one day. I need to focus on the day in front of me and remember to breathe and do what I can. It’s human nature that when people see results, it pushes them to keep going. By setting small, actionable goals you are more likely to see results and therefore push yourself to set another goal.
Just because everyone around you is making resolutions, doesn’t mean you should. It may not be right for you. I found that it was never right for me. There are reasons why so many resolutions fail and reasons not to make resolutions.
To help you stay organized and focused in the new year here is your printable planner. This will allow you to write down goals for the week and not just the year. Grab yours now.
Do New Year Resolutions work?
Most of the time New Year Resolutions don’t work. It’s reported that most people stop trying to achieve their resolutions before the winter is over. Only 8% of New Year resolutions actually succeed. Reasons vary but there are common reasons why people don’t seem to achieve their New Year’s Resolutions.
- People make goals that aren’t for them but instead what they think they should be doing.
The most common goals every year: lose weight exercises more and save money. People make a goal based on fear or guilt but not what they really want. If the motivation is coming from the wrong place you are setting yourself up for failure.
- No passion or Excitement
Be honest with yourself so you can set a goal that’s important to you. If you have no passion behind a specific goal you are far less likely to reach it.
- Goals are too huge and vague
This does not give you something specific to work towards and achieve.
- To many goals
If you try and do too many things you find yourself mentally and physically exhausted and can’t move forward.
- Goals are in the negative form. If you want to move forward, goals should be set in the positive.
Don’t set a goal that you need to lose 30 pounds. Instead, say “I want to feel better and be happy with the way I look. A number is a number, but being happy with your body should be the real goal. See what has stopped you from achieving this goal in the past and change what you need too. Identify what you do what.
- Reasons to beat yourself up later on
- Not the right time
Maybe starting goals in the middle of the winter is not right for you. I know for myself, I sometimes have less energy and don’t want to go out in the cold to start something that I’m not used to doing. For many people, January is a depressing time of the year. If you are down with the winter blues and want to make a huge life change at the same time really isn’t going to work.
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Throw away the Resolutions
Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the New Years cycle. You make a resolution, don’t stick to it and then wind up upset with yourself for not achieving that goal. End the cycle and throw away those yearly resolutions. If you are setting the same goals you set last year only to feel disappointed again, what’s the point?
You see why resolutions don’t usually work. Everyone starts out the year all ready for a change and it comes to a halt rather quickly. So instead of making large resolutions at the beginning of the year, I want you to try and make small, actionable goals throughout the year.
Try these strategies instead:
- Make small, actionable goals
- Make short-term goals to reach a larger goal
- After one goal is reached then set another goal
- Be truly honest with yourself
- All goals should be in the present- work on you at the moment
- Don’t make a goal just because you think it’s what you’re supposed to.
- Celebrate any success
- Chart your progress
- Find a way to be held accountable
On this New Year’s I want you to relax and enjoy. Don’t put stress on yourself for these large unattainable goals the moment the year starts. Start the year off with no stress.
To help you stay organized and focused in the year to come here is your printable planner. This will allow you to write down goals for the week and not just the year. You get daily, weekly and monthly calendar. The pages are regular paper size so you have plenty of room for what you need.
What do you think of New Years Resolutions? Do you make them each year? Are you considering not making them this year and starting the year off with no pressure?