How to Make New Year’s Resolutions Work
New Year, New Me?
Let’s face it—we all start the new year full of hope and motivation.
We promise ourselves that we will finally hit that gym.
We pledge that we’ll finally start learning a new language.
We swear that we’ll cut alcohol and start eating healthy.
Our goals last for a few weeks. But studies show that 80% of all New Year’s Resolutions fail by mid-February. Why is that?
There are many different speculations by psychologists and research firms that explain why New Year’s Resolutions usually don’t work.
Some blame it on lack of clarity while others blame it on high expectations.
As much as I agree with all these claims, I think there’s more to it than that.
Based on my past clients who I’ve helped achieve their goals, the two biggest problems are:
1. Most people don’t actually want to achieve their goals and
2. Achieving those goals isn’t really necessary.
In other words, people may consciously know that they wish to improve certain aspects of their life. But they keep on procrastinating because they aren’t fully committed to their goals.
In other words, they don’t really want nor need the change.
Look at some examples:
I should lose 10 more pounds. (But I don’t necessarily have to.)
I should start eating healthy. (But I don’t feel any immediate consequences if I eat unhealthily.)
I should save more money. (But I can also just keep living the way I am now.)
I should spend more time with my family. (But I also have other things to do.)
Do you see the patterns?
Most of the time, goals fail because we make goals that we aren’t really serious about and because these goals aren’t really necessary.
Evolutionary speaking, humans are highly adaptable and fascinating creatures.
Throughout history, humanity has been the most innovative and most progressive when there was a true will and need for change.
This ability to adapt not only allowed our ancestors to survive climate shifts but also help them colonize new habitats. Why? Because they needed to change and because there was no other option.
If we truly wished for a certain outcome, we would be so driven that we won’t need any New Year’s Resolutions.
If we truly needed change, we wouldn’t have any other option than to simply do so.
So rather than wondering why our resolutions keep failing, we should focus on the reasonings:
Why do we want to achieve this goal?
Why do we need to change?
What will happen if we don’t?
Once we have the answers to these questions, we’ll be one step closer to truly realizing our goals.
Final Thoughts
While there are many reasons why most people don’t end up sticking to their New Year’s Resolutions, I believe that most goals don’t work because we don’t really want or need the change.
In order to realize our goals, we must have a deeper level of understanding as to why we want to achieve them. Then, I encourage you that everything will fall in place naturally.
Have a great start to 2022! I wish you all the best.