There’s a saying that a new year is a new you. Every year, people create a New Year’s resolution that they’ll commit to for the entire year. Whether it’s losing weight or reading more often, it’s a big change people are willing to make to create healthy habits.
Except, that big change seems to be too much for most people. 91% of Americans break their New Year’s resolution. But why is this the case?
Why People Fail
Here’s a few common reasons:
Big Ambitions
Usually for a resolution, you’re thinking big, as your goal will take effect for an entire year.
This is a common reason why resolutions fail. Making changes to your habits involves getting out of your comfort zone. While the discomfort is bearable for a short-term goal, you’ll struggle with it for a long-term goal (like a New Year’s resolution!)
Adding on, big goals can be intimidating to complete, let alone begin. If your goal is extremely broad, you may struggle finding the first step to take, and simply give up.
Unclear Goals
When brainstorming for a resolution, you may think of a few generic ideas, like “going to the gym more.” Except, these resolutions are too vague. When you actually follow through with going to the gym more, you don’t know how much more you want to go to the gym, and end up confusing yourself.
Here’s a few things to make that resolution more precise:
- Define “more.” Return to the gym for an extra day, two days?
- Are you returning to the gym more often, or staying longer? Both?
- What exercises are you doing with that extra time?
Forcing a Resolution
If you’re setting up a New Year’s resolution for the sake of setting up a resolution, you will eventually fail. Try and find a goal that you can bear for a whole year, or find enjoyable to commit to.
Aiming For Perfection
Most New Year’s resolutions are usually strict. If you make a mistake, you’ll have to try again next year.
It’s best to get rid of this mindset. In your resolution, create a little fallback in case you fail. For example, if your resolution is “cut sugar completely,” you can say “cut 50% of my average sugar intake.” You may think that’s a lot of leniency, but is cutting sugar completely that much healthier, let alone realistic?
Making It Happen
For starters, you’ll need a goal you can stand for an entire year. Even then, this might not be enough. Let’s add some structure.
SMART Goals
This system of creating a goal is known to be effective. It stands for:
- Specific – What do you mean by ____?
- Measurable – How much will you ____?
- Achievable – Is it even possible?
- Relevant – Is it necessary?
- Time-Bound – How long will you pursue this goal?
Let’s make a resolution with this: I will go to the gym for 3 days/week for 30 minutes this year. Simple, right?
An Alternative
Maybe you’re just sick of making New Year’s resolutions. So, here are other options that aren’t as difficult/restricting.
Bucket lists: What would you like to accomplish this year? You can make a list of places to travel to, habits to break, hobbies to pursue, or anything else you want to see happen. Rather than a resolution, you can add more than one goal you’d like to do, and breaking it up into a list can make goals seem more approachable.
Themes
Goals usually need to be specific, but you can do the opposite. With themes, you simply pick a broad word that will represent what you want to focus on during the year.
This word can help dictate the tiny decisions you make on a daily basis. If your theme is “reading,” it might influence you into reading a short book rather than going for your phone.
The broadness of the word is important too. Reading can mean many things, so if you hate traditional and long chapter books, you can explore audio books instead.
Conclusion
Hopefully these tips are helpful for your resolution, if you even have one.
Once again, 91% of Americans don’t complete their New Year’s resolution. Good luck on being part of the 9%.
RELATED STORIES:
https://www.verywellmind.com/why-new-years-resolutions-fail-6823972
https://sarabest.com/why-resolutions-dont-work/
TAKE ACTION:
https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/7-tips-to-keep-your-new-years-resolution/2022/12
