And it is officially the end of the first month of the new year. Yes, Jan is now over and we’re wondering whatever the heck happened to our resolutions! If you’ve stuck to them, we can’t tell you how awesome you are! And if, like us, you’ve already forgotten what your resolutions even were, then High Five! You’re still awesome. But jokes aside, everyone wonders why resolutions rarely hold up. Around the world, millions resolve to change a habit or start something new at the beginning of a new year and most often than not, end up failing miserably. Which is why some big brains spent money and time researching why resolutions fail.
And here’s what they found –
You Are Not Ready To Change
Yeah, this one is something you don’t realise yet. On New Year’s Eve, you probably begin considering the coming year as a new chapter in your life. And you think you’re ready for something new. But the truth is, most people are pretty reluctant to change their lives no matter how sad or happy it is. This stems from a fear of change and anything unfamiliar is kind of intimidating. Then there’s also the fact that habits aren’t easily broken, if you’re used to sugar in your daily coffee, the idea of dropping sugar is easier said than done.
Your Goals Aren’t Very Clear
What exactly was your resolution about? Weightloss? Less work, more social life? Or something along these lines? As great as these goals sound, you probably never gave much thought to how you’re going to get about achieving them. This makes you confused and unsure from day one. Naturally, you’ll get frustrated and realise that it isn’t going to happen.
The best way to counter that is set very specific and clear goals. Don’t resolve to lose weight. Instead, resolve to run 10 minutes every day. Its a simpler task and has a very clear definition of what needs to be done. In short, break down the ultimate goal into a set of steps and resolve to stick to said steps.
Discouragement & Frustration
If you resolved to get really flat abs or a six pack and if you hit the gym with vengeance, you’ll be tired from day 1. Let’s be real, six-pack abs aren’t built in a month. It takes time, it takes dedication and that rarely happens soon. When you don’t see the results fast enough, your brain gets disappointed and prompts you to give up very soon.
Yet another reason is frustration because working adults these days have limited time outside of work. When most of that goes towards keeping up the resolution, you’ll easily get frustrated out of your wits.
Maybe You’re Not Motivated Enough
Let’s face it, everyone’s overexcited on New Year’s Eve. And that energy surge quickly runs out. If you get tired in a week, it is unlikely that the resolution will last. As per experts, it takes around 21 days to make or break a habit and that’s the minimum you have to stick to get somewhere with your resolution.
If you are not a person with enough motivation to do that, you will probably give up in no time. Keeping a journal helps. You could try that too.
Lack Of Support
If you depend on your brain to motivate you, you’re probably going to find it hard. For most adults, social support is necessary to get things done. Your brain alone isn’t enough. This is why resolutions taken by a group of people stand a better chance to stay as opposed to individual goals.
Likewise, you can ask someone to keep you in check. This often yields better results than when it is just you motivating yourself to stick to your resolutions.
Don’t Worry, You Can Start Afresh!
If you really want to get something done, you can always start today. New years isn’t the only chance for you to break or make a new habit and that’s why we urge you to seize the day and get started right away!
And if your resolutions haven’t failed yet, please know that you are the stuff of legends :). Good luck everyone!