Every year, millions of people make New Year's resolutions. We tell ourselves that this is the year we'll finally stick to our diets and get in shape, save more money, or learn a new skill. But unfortunately, most of us never follow through on these resolutions. So why don't New Year's resolutions work? Let's take a closer look at why the traditional resolution-setting model doesn't work and what you can do instead to reach your goals.
The Problems With New Year's Resolutions
There are several key reasons why traditional New Year's resolutions so often fail. The first is that they're often too vague or unrealistic. If your goal is simply "lose weight," it can be difficult to know where to start and how to measure progress toward that goal. Additionally, many resolutions are made without any sort of plan in place for how they will be achieved. Without a clear plan of action, it becomes easy to put off working towards our goals until tomorrow — which quickly becomes next week, then next month, and so on.
Another issue with traditional resolutions is that they tend to rely heavily on willpower and motivation — two things that can quickly run out if we don't have a concrete plan in place for achieving our goals. Although using willpower can help us reach some short-term goals, it rarely leads to lasting change because it isn't sustainable over the long term.
So What Can You Do Instead?
If you want better results than those you get from making traditional New Year's resolutions, try setting SMART goals instead. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant/realistic, and time-bound — all qualities that give your goal structure and direction so you can track your progress more easily. Additionally, creating an action plan for each goal can help keep you on track by breaking down tasks into smaller steps that are easier to manage and complete one by one. Finally, remember to focus on building habits rather than relying solely on willpower or motivation; this will make it much easier for you to achieve lasting changes in your life!
New Year’s resolutions may seem like a great way to set yourself up for success every year – but sadly they usually fail due to their vagueness and lack of planning behind them. Fortunately, there’s an alternative – SMART goals! By being specific about what you want to achieve and providing yourself with an actionable plan as well as focusing on habit-building rather than just relying on motivation or willpower; you’ll be able to increase your chances of actually achieving the goals you set out in the new year! As such New Years’ Resolutions should not be relied upon alone; but worked into a larger system like SMART Goals instead! Good luck!
Blog written by:
Lisa Anderson
Owner of A Healing Place