The goal of making a New Year’s Resolution is to improve life in the upcoming year; whether it be big or small, the self promise encourages many people across the nation to better themselves.
According to Forbes magazine, January 1st marks the day where over 40% of americans make resolutions for self-improvement. In the end, only a small percentage succeed in following through with their resolution, but why is this? As february approaches you might find yourself slowly swaying away from your goal and giving up.
The problem most people have is making a goal that is so large and out of reach, they are setting themselves up for failure. Getting rid of a habit is a common resolution many Americans set as a goal but can’t seem to achieve. It is human nature to have habits. We create them everyday and in order to get rid of one people need to replace it with a new habit. Instead of stopping something cold-turkey, make small steps to achieve your goal. Create a new healthy habit. Try taking the elevator instead of the stairs for example.
Psychiatrist Lynn Bufka says, “It’s more sensible to set small, attainable goals throughout the year, rather than a singular, overwhelming goal.” Every individual has so much going on in their lives, striving for a complete lifestyle makeover is doomed to fail.
I have found over the years goals such as, “Exercise more”, simply do not work. Being specific with your resolutions is key, try “No more soda or white bread”. The chances of hitting your goals improve tremendously with clarity around the result you are striving for.
I think many people have a mindset that a new year means they are bound to make a change in their lives. In reality it is all up to how you plan to reach a goal and if you’ve failed in the past try taking smaller steps to potentially see a successful outcome.