The act of making a New Year’s Resolution is a good concept. Taking the opportunity to start fresh with a brand new set of goals is admirable. The problem is that most people don’t follow through on their new resolutions. There are many reasons why most resolutions fail. Below are some of the normal pitfalls and suggestions on avoiding them.
- Going It Alone – Change often takes willpower and some people are in short supply of it. So one way to increase your chances of making a change is to partner up with someone. The small group adds a bit of social pressure that feels less like will. Or even better, join a new peer group where your desired outcome is the norm.
- Biting Off More Than You Can Chew – People often set themselves up for failure by trying to make too many changes. Start with bite-size chunks that are manageable. Break it down into a daily basis where it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. Also set up systems that help make things automatic. Program a wake up call in your phone and put your shoes by your bed if you want to run every morning and reward yourself for little successes.
- Bringing Old You to the New Year – If you would like to make a change in your life, don’t bother making the resolution. There’s not enough power of emotion behind that. You need to get to the point where you need to make a change because it is who you truly want to be in your soul. Change is inconvenient, difficult and a Do It Yourself project. Come up with all of the reasons why this must happen and you might have a chance.
- Confusing Progress and Success – Often people walk the first five miles of a thousand mile journey and become satisfied with their progress because this is the farthest they’ve ever gone. Define the endpoint and keep it in mind. Don’t be satisfied with anything less.
- Making Setbacks into Failure – Everyone screws up, stumbles, forgets and blows things off. Don’t beat yourself up. If the goal is worth having, then it is worth going through some missteps. Will you only be satisfied with having your goal if you never faltered once? Then don’t even start, we all screw up.
As is always true, these posts are as much for me as they are for you. Good luck in 2015! Make it a great year on purpose.
Huryk Unlimited 