New Year, Same Old You? Why setting New Year’s Resolutions has not shown to be effective.

Happy New Year to our wonderful followers !!

It is indeed the year 2020, and most likely many of you have already started working towards your New Year’s Resolutions. As  January 1st approaches, most people focus on such goals as loosing weight, exercising (Hello gym memberships!) and finding a new job. By the end of week 2 however, all that enthusiasm is  likely forgotten as the routine and mundane work and life troubles return in full force. Why are New Year’s Resolutions ultimately ineffective?

It starts with a thought…

Setting goals take some time. Most people tend to make a list of the top 5 or 10 ideas that have been circulating in their mind (for like the last 10 years). Instead, why not take the time to dive deep within and actually figure out what drives you? Who are you now? Who don’t you want to be? Who do you want to be?  How can you get there? What actually makes you happy? What is your passion? What brings contentment and joy to your soul? These are questions worth pondering. Start there. You may not like the answers to some of them. But even though it may be scary to experience a sense of vulnerability when truly assessing oneself, the act will serve as motivate to take the next step. Be specific when answering the above questions. When your goals are generic and abstract in nature, the chances you will follow though are slim to non-existent. So look within, and be specific when determining your goals.

It starts with a plan…

OK, so you have set those goals. Awesome! You have the list in front of you. But actually achieving these goals can be challenging. The idea behind New Year’s resolutions is that individuals can start on a clean slate: New Year, New You –  forget the mistakes of the prior year and focus on your best future self. And while this may look great on paper, in reality it creates a few difficulties for those who actually attempt to implement their resolutions. You have to start with a plan and you must execute it, but more on that later. Planning means that you have to purposely decide to stick to your agenda despite the daily  life and work anxieties that you’ll encounter. Planning also should include your resolve to stick to agenda despite your mind trying to sabotage you into abandoning your goals. You have to outsmart yourself, so plan wisely.

      It starts with an action…

“Breaking the Habit”, the famous Linkin Park song might serve as an inspiration . The unhealthy or unwanted behaviors that individuals perform each and every day, week after week, month after month, year after year are difficult (yet not impossible!) to break. People have their go-to daily routines which become deeply ingrained in them.  It takes a lot of effort to change such behavior. What is amazing though, is that once an action is implemented, then another action follows, then another, and another…pretty soon the goal is within reach! Implementing your plan takes bold moves and action in order to change a routine. It takes discipline, determination and drive. Determine what you want/need to achieve (dig deep and be specific), make a comprehensive plan (and plan to stick to your plan when the going gets tough), and take action! It may be difficult but the reword is more than worth it.

So how are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? Are you holding strong or have you taken a temporary break? Drop us a line and share your experiences. We would love to brainstorm with you, support and encourage you to Become Who You Are!!

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  1. […] essential to approach it with a mindful and realistic mindset. We’ve written on this topic in past blog posts however, in this blog post, we’ll explore the concept of New Year resolutions and provide […]

  2. […] define your goals – I have spoken on this topic in the past and firmly believe that without specific and measurable goals, the desired outcome […]

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