If you have already failed with your New Year's Resolutions, join the club
Three weeks into the year – and odds are, your New Year’s resolutions are halfway to their dreadful fate.
A study on New Year’s resolutions, conducted by the Journal of Clinical Psychology, showed that only 8% of people who set New Year’s resolutions will stick to them.
Additionally, research conducted by the Association of Psychology Newfoundland and Labrador, suggests that most people will fail at their New Year’s resolutions by mid-February.
I can’t help but wonder why this is the case – do we not have enough resources out there which support goal setting?
After a quick internet search, I confirmed the internet is filled with articles and blog posts that highlight why you should set goals. These articles have covered, not just why you should set goals – but even how to set them. There are also articles that discuss the
benefits both from a physical and psychological perspective—Plus articles that provide techniques to help stick to your goals. The internet is in full support of goal setting. Which is particularly helpful at the beginning of the year when goal setting is at its prime.
So, why do roughly 80% of us miss the mark?
Is it possible our goals were too “big”, or perhaps they were not specific enough, or maybe we weren’t even convinced of our own goals.
What if old habits are just hard to break?
Let’s consider a few things as we explore the simple possibility of hitting the “reset” button and trying again
Maybe the pressure of setting goals shouldn’t be anchored solely to the onset of a New Year.
Who’s to say you can’t start again on Monday, or the beginning of next month?
Let’s think about the desired outcome – and then
create (or recreate) the small goals that will get us there.For example, if originally the goal was to lose weight – that sounds more like the outcome than the goal. Consider establishing small goals which are anchored to that desired outcome, such as: replacing chips with veggies, replacing fast food runs with a pre-packed healthy lunch, or replacing evening TV time, a couple nights a week, with a walk around the neighborhood.
When you set a goal, include why you set this goal.
Your why should answer “How does achieving this goal benefit me and the people around me?”
On days when motivation is low, revisit your why
and just reset.
The tricky thing about most New Years resolutions is that
they typically attempt to uproot an established set of habits – on a whimsical hope
rather than a detailed plan.
Old habits truly are hard to break—but certainly not impossible. And missing the mark is not a bad thing. It simply gives us the opportunity to revisit our goals and fine tune the plan.
If this is where you find yourself, join the club. Apparently, 80% of us are right there with
you. So, let’s revisit our desired outcome, rewrite our small goals – include the Why, and try again.
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are
not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted
goal.” ― Napoleon Hill