There’s no better way to start the new year than with a fresh outlook that revives life. The problem is that resolutions are often not grounded in practicality, so many people fail miserably at keeping them. This year, try creating feasible, long-lasting goals.
More than 40 percent of Americans make resolutions for the new year, but as many as 92 percent fail to meet their goals and keep their promises. The reason behind this miserable failure rate is that they make such vague and unrealistic resolutions. “Yes, 2014 is going to be the year we’re finally going to lose weight, eat right, stop smoking, reduce stress levels, spend more time with family, quit drinking, get out of debt and end world hunger.” Can anyone really accomplish all these things in one year or at once.
The chance of achieving these goals is slim. In moments of excitation and partying spirits, many people create huge bucket lists and jump in head first into trying to make big changes in their behavior. No one should expect to be different as soon as the clock strikes midnight.
To succeed at keeping resolutions, make reasonable, plausible promises. Instead of making a general statement to lose weight, be more specific. Resolve to cut down on late-night snacks or promise to use the stairs instead of the elevator. Rather than deciding generally to become more environmentally friendly, use reusable bags instead of plastic bags or cut down on using paper towels.
New Year’s resolutions are aspirations that improve a person’s well-being, allowing them to acknowledge what they value most and restructure their time.
The tradition of creating resolutions dates back to the Romans, who made moral resolutions, such as seeking forgiveness from their enemies. Babylonians also started their new year by making promises to their gods to return all borrowed items and pay off their debts, which is not too far from resolutions people make today. This deep-rooted tradition has been with us for so long, but it seems as though most people don’t take them seriously any more.
The justification behind the failure is that we tend to seek perfection through our lofty goals, all or nothing. But as long as we improve something by the end of the year, we deserve the success. Despite the discouragement, we continue to make resolutions year after year. Our ultimate motivations are our aspirations and a certain level of belief in our ability to change and be more like who we really want to be.
Sometimes, I meet my goals; sometimes, I don’t. I was successful at eliminating soda from my diet for the past two years. I was successful because my goal was realistic. I targeted something specific, so I was able to work on one thing rather than trying to change my entire diet.
I like to think of New Year’s as a chance to reset my meter each year. We all know that New Year’s resolutions are far easier to make than to keep, but that shouldn’t stop us from setting and keeping goals for becoming happier and more successful.
