By the time this post is read, the countdown to the New Year has ended. It is the final door closing to the holiday season. And this year, it is the end of another decade! Welcome to 2020.
Oy! Right? As you pull the covers up over your head and snuggle deeper into your bed, the harsh reality of a new year is everywhere. It’s that time when we realize we didn’t accomplish any of our New Year’s resolutions from last year. You can hear the collective sigh of people all over the world…
Well, I’m here to tell you that New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time! Wait, before you shake your head, hear me out.
Why New Year’s Resolutions Set You Up to Fail
We live in a world of “instant gratification.” Every year our computers get faster and more efficient. Cell Phones make international connections almost instantly. Drive-through windows have made fast food available any time we want to eat. We have Amazon Prime shipping and groceries delivered to our front door. We have lost the virtue of being patient. Your item is on back-order? Forget that! We just use the internet to find it somewhere else.
And so, our expectations have changed such that we expect everything to happen NOW! When? Now!
When we make New Year’s resolutions, we often make unachievable goals. We set such huge goals for ourselves that we just give up. I refer to this as the “gym spike.” These are all of the people who, with good intentions, set a goal to lose weight and get fit. They join fitness gyms in mass and stop going after just two weeks. According to a survey in U.S. News & World Report, a massive 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by mid-February and from the remaining 20%, only 8% of those achieve their resolution.
Those statistics are daunting enough to not make any resolutions.
You can search the internet and find thousands of articles explaining why New Year’s resolutions fail. There’s no point in repeating everything that has already been written.
8 Steps to Set Yourself up for Success!
- Stop using the word resolution! Start setting goals instead. (Goals vs Resolutions.)
- Whether you want to lose weight, travel, save money or reunite with a loved one, invest in some time on the internet for helpful ideas, apps, and to read about the experiences of others.
- Find someone to help you achieve your goal. A friend or loved one can help hold us accountable.
- Break your goal down into achievable steps. These steps are reasonable, attainable, and measurable.
- Reward yourself for each step you achieve toward your goal. Don’t wait until the end of the year. Pamper yourself and be good to yourself.
- On small pieces of paper, write down motivating and positive words. Then place these pieces of paper in places where you will see them every day!
- Don’t give up! When you fall backward, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go at it again. Just keep moving!
- Most important of all, don’t compare yourself and your goals to anyone else! You are unique and there is only one you! It is your life, your goals, and your successes!
My hope is that you aren’t at the gym first thing in the morning paying for a membership. And if you are, follow some or all of these steps so you’re still going after February! I hope you are a part of the 8% who achieve their goals!
©2020 Ajae Corbett
Thoughts by Ajae 