"5 Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Fail (And How to Fix Them)"
As the New Year comes upon us, we set our sights on accomplishing our goals; lose weight, fix our finances, run that marathon, get up earlier, read more, eat healthier, etc.
They’re all very valid and essential to living a balanced life and we should always strive for betterment. But alas, three weeks into the new year and we’ve gone to the gym once, spent money we didn’t have, slept in, and have yet to crack open that book. Why is this an endless battle every year? We find ourselves frustrated and believing that there’s no hope.
Over the last 15 years I’ve worked with numerous people on helping them not only define their goals, but also how to track and keep pushing forward even when setbacks happen (and they will).
Here are 5 of my top reasons that most people don’t reach their New Year Resolutions.
1. Goals aren’t clearly defined
Before we sit down and write out our goals for the year, I think it’s important to think about the goals we had last year and reflect if we were able to accomplish any of those. If not, write down reasons why. Were they too big, did you try, were they “wish’s” and not necessarily goals.
The first thing you need to evaluate in any goal is
· Is it attainable
· Will it make my life better or easier
· What’s my reason
Ex: I really want to be better at saving money. Great goal to have but let’s answer a few questions first. Why do you want to save money, how much money do you want to save, what would you spend it on if you had that amount right now.
2. Our goals are too large
It’s easy to sit down at the end of the year and write out all things we’d love to accomplish. The problem that most people have is that they put too many things on there without considering how much work it will be. Our steps to reaching our goals should be easily manageable and not overly complicated. Once you’ve defined them (I want to lose 10lbs in the next 90 days) you can break that down into smaller time frames like days or weeks. For this example of losing weight, I would start off by saying for the next 7 days I’m going to cut my sugar by 50%, or not have any fast food. You’re making smaller goals inside of the larger goal. By breaking down the larger goal into smaller, more manageable goals, it’s going to be easier to keep progress as well as track it. What gets measured, gets managed.
3. We have zero support
I always ask my clients if they’ve shared their goals with anybody either at home or work. Speaking our goals out loud with those that support us will make the process easier in the long run. Tell that person how important this milestonel is to you and why. Ask that person if they would mind supporting you along this journey. One example is I had a client that wanted to quit drinking. They didn’t really have a problem with it but just decided that it wasn’t helping them in their fitness, so they just wanted to quit all together. It wasn’t very hard for them but when they got around friends who did drink, they wondered why, asked a lot of questions, tried to get them to “just have one”. They weren’t very supportive but to their defense, they weren’t made aware of the reason why.
4. No accountability
This kind of ties into number 3. If you have a true support system, they can help keep you accountable for your success. As stated previously, problems and challenges will happen and it’s easier to fall back to our old habits if we don’t have someone keeping us in check. When you feel the need to pull through a fast-food restaurant, text or call your accountability person or group. Lean on them for support at times of weakness. Remember, we should never try and reach goals without having someone we can reach out to.
5. No plan
Now that you have your defined goals, your support/accountability system, it’s time that we write out a plan for each day/week/or month so that we can stay on track with them. There’s no better feeling than checking off things each day that will get us closer to the big goal. It builds momentum and confidence. It’s an advent Calander of sorts. You know that day is coming and each day you check off something on your list, the excitement builds. Often, we’ll hit that goal before the due date. If that happens, then you just start over with a new goal(s).
This year, ditch the endless cycle of frustration. Define your goals, create a plan, and surround yourself with the right support and accountability. You’ve got this!
Ready to make this the year you achieve your resolutions? Start small, stay consistent, and watch your progress unfold. For more tips and resources, stay tuned for our live events on our social media channels!
Lance Miles
Lance is the Owner of Redefined Fitness and a Realtor at ETR Realty in Spring, Texas. He has been a successful entrepreneur and athlete for over a decade and is father to an amazing daughter and happily married to his wonderful wife Stephanie.