It’s the end of January, and perhaps you’ve already given up on your New Year’s Resolutions. Don’t feel bad.
Research conducted by the University of Scranton suggests that approximately 200 million Americans make New Year’s resolutions at least sometimes. However, the same research indicates that most of us are unsuccessful in achieving them. Several of us only manage to stick to our resolutions for a short time. One-quarter of individuals fail within the first week, while a third don’t make it past the first month. Less than half of us are still making an effort six months later. Merely 8 percent of us are actually able to accomplish them.
Fitness centers often sell year-long contracts, counting on the fact that most people won’t go regularly. They rely on the fact that many members will get distracted, overwhelmed, or simply lose interest after a few visits.
Our New Year’s resolutions are not just about numbers. They are about the most important aspects of our lives, such as health, wealth, relationships, and personal growth.
It’s happened to all of us. We start out strong, but then we get busy, fall behind, or eventually lose motivation. That’s why we have to break away from the faulty system.
Our dreams are way too valuable to entrust to a flawed system.
It’s okay to start fresh today, but it’s time to go beyond just dreaming. It’s time to turn those resolutions into achievable goals.
As you process through your dreams and resolutions, remember not to let yourself get caught in these traps:
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Trap 1: Allowing Shame to Dictate Your Path
It’s tempting to let shame shape the narrative of the past year. Reflecting on your eating habits, work productivity, or family time might lead to resolutions like eating healthier, using your phone less, or working fewer hours. While these are admirable goals born from learning experiences, striving to avoid shame or regret falls short of pursuing a truly fulfilling life.
Regret and shame rise up when our actions deviate from our aspirations, revealing our desires and the kind of person we aim to become. Recognize the deeper motivations behind resolutions like eating healthy, using your phone less, or working fewer hours. Fear, regret, and shame might initiate change but won’t sustain the effort and transformation needed for lasting success.
Learn from the past, but let your desires shape your goals for the coming year.
Trap 2: Dreaming Without a Strategy
Noticing what you want is the beginning, but dreaming without action can hinder progress and lead to the belief that change is impossible. Dreams should propel you to act, and the bridge between dreaming and acting is turning your dreams into SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound). Reasonable goals drive action, build confidence, and foster belief in your ability to achieve change.
Set goals that empower you and your achievements.
Trap 3: Overcommitting
The allure of reinvention with a “New year, new me” mentality is strong in the last week of December and the first few weeks of January. While change is possible, it requires effort, time, and sometimes limited resources.
Guard against overcommitting and living with unrealistic expectations. Set a limited number of goals for the year, focusing on two to three per quarter. Constraints can help create lasting changes.
As you embark on a new year full of new adventures, acknowledge your desires, set purposeful goals, and prioritize sustainable growth over radical reinvention.
The possibilities are exciting! What will you make of them?
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