Why is it so Hard to Keep New Year's Resolutions?
New Year, New You! Wouldn’t it be great if it were that simple? Only about 16 percent of people can stick to their new year’s resolutions. The rest of us give them up within one to six weeks of starting, just to repeat them all over again next year. What is a resolution really? It’s about starting a new habit or giving up an addiction, and for that you need to have consistency and dedication. Here are the five main reasons resolutions fail.
1. Lack of Accountability
Surround yourself with people who encourage you and supply the right energy to help you be more. Stay away from the people who sap your energy. Your accountability partner can be a friend or a significant other, a family member, or even a work colleague.
Share your new year’s resolutions with them and ask them to hold you accountable. They can help you set realistic expectations as well as pushing you to achieve those goals along the way. The idea is that, once someone other than yourself knows what you need to do or what you want to achieve, there is a greater incentive to go out and do it to avoid having to explain why you didn’t to another person.
2. No Tracking/ Review
What gets measured gets done, and what gets done can be improved as long as you have a good tracking system. Research shows that it takes a minimum of 18 days to form a new habit, but an average of 60 days for a habit to stick. Habits are created through routine and repetition and a daily review allows you to see improvement.
3. Lack of Planning
Will power is not enough to change your behavior if you don’t have a plan in place. Planning gives us a clear perspective on what needs to be done, what goals are to be achieved and what amount of time is to be or will be spent on completing the said goals.
These self-imposed deadlines are a healthy form of motivation which is much needed to feel a sense of accomplishment. The key is to take your new year’s resolution and break it down into bite size pieces that are attainable and measurable. For example, if your goal is to lose weight break it down into a plan with smaller pieces. Part of that plan could include meal planning or deciding which days you will exercise.
4. Self -doubt
Don’t allow your past failures to dictate your future. Celebrate the small victories and you will see how those motivate you to work harder for the larger ones. Being self-critical takes all your energy away from achieving your goal. Also remember that progress is preferable to perfection. Don’t get discouraged about slipping or falling off track. Just pick yourself up and jump back in when you are ready.
Finally make sure that your resolutions are constructive versus destructive. Constructive goals should be inspiring, achievable, and focus on growth. Destructive goals, on the other hand, are time sensitive, and inspired by other people’s timelines and outward facing success.
5. Clarity of the "why"
A majority of people fail to achieve their objectives because their “why” is unclear. The “why” is what motivates people to take action. So instead of just knowing WHAT you want you need to know WHY you want it. Why did you make the resolution to begin with? What motivates you to achieve it? Why is it important now? You will be amazed how powerful purpose is and how you control the mindset. Imagine yourself achieving this goal and remind yourself of it every day. Be patient with yourself and celebrate the process of change instead of only being focused on the end result.
