It’s the same story every January; millions of people distill their hopes and dreams for self-improvement into a shiny set of New Year’s resolutions. So, why is it that so many New Year’s resolutions fail every year? Past studies and surveys have concluded that, by February, as many as 80% of New Year’s resolutions will have been abandoned.
This suggests that we’re approaching New Year resolutions all wrong. In this article, we will talk through the common pitfalls many people experience while following their New Year’s resolutions and we will also discuss how you can beat the odds for your 2023 resolutions.
Going solo: Most of you set your health goals and try to achieve them alone. You won’t tell anyone what you’re working towards in fear of failure.
Not tracking progress: One of the primary reasons why people give up on their resolution is because they don’t track their progress. How can you expect to accomplish something if you don’t even know how close you are to getting there?
Expecting immediate results: Resolutions are meant to be a long term process. Don’t treat a marathon like a sprint. Significant results take time.
No motivation: Motivation might be what gets your started, but it fades away too soon. So you need to use that initial motivation to create habits that will keep you going forward and help you in achieving your goals.
Beat the odds-
Focus on one goal at a time: Achieving even one small goal can boost your belief in yourself. For larger goals, consider breaking them apart into manageable chunks to work on one at a time.
Make a detailed plan: You can start by writing down your goal; making a list of things you might do to achieve that goal, and noting any obstacles that might stand in your way. By knowing exactly what you want to accomplish and the difficulties you might face, you’ll be better prepared to stick to your resolution and overcome anything that might sidetrack you.
Make it fun: Most of us strive for efficiency when it comes to achieving our goals. But research has shown that focusing on efficiency can leave you high and dry because you’ll neglect an even more important part of the equation: whether you enjoy the act of goal pursuit. If it’s not fun you’re unlikely to keep at it.
Learn from the past: Any time you fail to make a change, consider it a step toward your goal. Why? Because each sincere attempt represents a lesson learned. When you hit a snag, take a moment to think about what did and didn’t work to make necessary changes.
