No More New Year’s Resolutions! Ugh! Every year, we find ourselves caught up in a resolution frenzy. Once again we’re setting ourselves up for failure before the year begins! Why do we feel this sudden urge to conquer the world just because the calendar flipped to January 1st? What’s so magical about this particular year? How will it be different than any other year?
I guess 2024 is not the first year you’ve thought about piling on a bunch of resolutions.
Let’s be real, if world domination or some other fantastical fancy was on your agenda, it would’ve happened ages ago.
I digress. Resolutions seem to be part of our psyche, at least they have been for most folks I know.
Here goes:
And those ten pounds I planned to lose? Well, they may have taken a brief vacation, but they came back with a bunch of their friends in tow!
What do I mean by goals vs resolutions? Let’s make this easy. You have goals and you are resolved to reach them. Does that help? Can you see where sometimes resolutions and goals get confused with one another? The cart before the horse?
Are your resolutions aligned with your long-term goals, or are they just fleeting desires? If they’re not super important, why bother? Let’s cut to the chase and get down to business. Are your goals achievable and realistic? Can you actually see yourself making them happen? Be real here!
And what about that plan to save more or spend less money? Watch out! Don’t fall for the age-old trap: The ‘After Christmas Sales’ conspiracy is out there to sabotage your financial goals. You know the saying: You can go broke saving money!
A Vicious Circle! After saving money on all those After Christmas sales, and subsequently demolishing your resolutions in the first week of January–, OMG! It takes months to wrangle those credit cards back under control just in time for that ‘once in a lifetime’ summer vacation. Before you know it, Christmas is back, 2025 looms over the horizon and you’re staring at a fresh set of resolutions. Jeez!
So, how did last year’s resolutions work out? Exactly.
Let’s cut ourselves some slack. Instead of setting ourselves up for inevitable failure, let’s try something that’s got a lot better chance to work.
Just so you know, I never spill the beans on my resolutions. That whole accountability partner thing? Too much pressure. I’ve learned to keep my grand plans to myself.
Make commitments you can’t screw up. Make it hard to fail.
As for those pesky pounds that keep creeping back. Take a different tact. Remove temptation. I don’t go on a weight-loss diet. I put my pantry and refrigerator on a diet. The frig and pantry are not allowed to store carbs and guilty pleasures. Problem solved.
And saving money? That’s a different ball game. Out of sight, out of mind. Again, remove temptation. Set up an automatic transfer of 20% of your income to a savings account. An account that is not easy to tap into. One that requires an act of Congress to access. Like, you have to make a phone call and someone has to mail it to you via snail mail. Watch that money pile up quietly and quickly.
Be nice to yourself. Quit beating yourself up with unreasonable and demanding expectations.
Start with one goal. Just one. Make it realistic and give yourself more time than you think you need to reach it. If you reach your goal ahead of schedule, that’s a win! YAY! You will feel empowered.
When you’ve conquered one resolution, then think about tackling another one. But keep it real. One baby step at a time. Steps that stick will result in concrete, long-standing progress.
Speaking of baby steps, set a daily goal. My friend despises housework but hates a messy space even more. His solution? Tidy up every morning before work. Problem solved.
Here are the top ten New Year’s Resolutions:
- Quit Smoking
- Lose Weight
- Eat Healthier
- Exercise More
- Learn Something New
- Travel More
- Drink Less Alcohol
- Read More
- Reduce Stress
- Drink More Water
All of those resolutions require commitment and planning. None of them are likely to happen overnight. Remember, baby steps. One realistic step at a time. Steps that ensure success from the get-go.
Now, let’s say you want to make a New Year’s resolution that’s guaranteed to succeed.
Figure out your goal. Let’s say it’s to exercise more. Are you currently getting any exercise? How much more do you want to get? Doing what? Walking? Gym? Yoga? Decide on something manageable. If you’re a bit of a couch potato, start by committing to a 20-minute walk each day at lunch. Once that becomes routine, maybe join a weekly yoga class. Gradually ramp it up as you get comfortable with the new routine.
Be careful you do not set too ambitious a timeline. Focus on staying on course. It might take a year, two, or even more. The point is to resolve to maintain a forward momentum toward reaching your goal.
Remember, only do what suits you, and stay away from peer pressure. Following someone else’s plan is a recipe for failure.
Consider setting a goal that adds value to your life.
Recipe for Success: Commit to taking one small, realistic step at a time. One step after another gives you the potential to reach a goal tailor-made for you.
Let me say it one more time: you have a goal, and you’ve resolved to take realistic steps to reach that goal.
No more resolutions—let’s call it: COMMITMENT TO SUCCESS!