Why Can’t We Keep Our New Year’s Resolutions?

The symbol that New Year’s celebrations bring us is beautiful. At the end of December, we turn the calendar to January and start a new year.

Thissymbolic change in time allows us to think of many ways that we want to improve our lives and do things differently than before. Why is it we can’t keep the resolutions that we make during this symbolic change in time?

Instant Gratification Syndrome

Yes, even the oldest of us suffer from this particular issue when it comes to the New Year’s resolutions we make. We want and expect a change to take place right away and to make an immediate impact. We treat a marathon like a sprint and feel disappointed when we don’t get the results we desire immediately. This is one of the biggest problems with trying to make these changes every year.

A Lack of Self-Confidence

If you’ve tried and failed to set and keep a New Year’s resolution in the past, you probably lack the confidence to go down that road again. Instead of looking at the new year as a new opportunity, you’re looking at it as another hurdle to jump over. Keep trying and eventually, you’ll find some resolutions that you can keep and build momentum from.

Action Takes a Backseat to Thoughts

Using self-help books, creating charts, writing down the plan, all pale in comparison to actually executing the plan. You could gather way too much information and overwhelm yourself into giving up on the resolution you want to keep. Simplification can be the most important part of making it easier for you to stay on track and meet your goals. Stop thinking so much and start doing what you planned to do.

Its Too Hard and Too Slow

If making changes in your life that last was something that could be done quickly and easily, we wouldn’t need to make New Year’s Resolutions. We get into so much of a hurry to see results that we get discouraged and don’t truly appreciate that we’re slowly trying to build something important for the future. Slow down and create the commitment needed to see something through to the end.

The Process isn’t Part of Your Pleasure

The most popular of New Year’s resolutions have to do with exercise and health. We all want to look and feel better, but we don’t appreciate what it takes to go from being a couch potato to a fitness phenom. The process of any change can be slow going, enjoy this process,and reward yourself when you reach certain milestones along the way. This will help keep you motivated.

Going Too Far Leads to Failure

You make your New Year’s Resolution list and it contains some incredible wholesale changes that will dramatically change your life. This may sound great at first, you’re excited to make some of these changes and see what happens, but you realize you’re trying too hard. You can’t deprive yourself of every pleasure and indulgence unless you’ve been on that path for a long time. There’s a reason we wean babies off of bottles and pacifiers slowly, it takes a little at a time.

No Tracking System in Place for Accountability

What happens if you make a resolution at the start of the year and you have no way to track how you’re doing? You forget about your resolution or give up. One of the key components to creating a new habit that will benefit your life is to track your progress and see how it improves your lifestyle.

A Lack of Support for Your New Year’s Resolution

When you want to make significant changes in your life, you need the support of your social network. This can be family, friends, coworkers, or simply a similar-minded group on Facebook or Instagram. Find people who are willing to hold you accountable, challenge you, and show support for yourprogress. Avoid those that look at a resolution as a silly thing that you’ll simply fail at later on.

Answer the Why Question

You know what you want to do and how you want to change it, but did you answer the why part of this equation? This is one of the key elements missing from most New Year’s Resolutions. You want to save a percentage of money every month, but what is it for? You want to exercise more, but why are you working so hard at the gym? Answer the why question and see how much easier it is to keep your resolution.