Why New Year's Resolutions Are Not Good

When do most new year's resolutions fail?

Various studies have shown that   80% of new year's resolutions fail by February. New year's resolution is nothing new to people, but many keep falling short of its rewards. It's been practised for over 4000 years through different approaches but has not been made perfect yet.

With the enthusiasm of entering a new year, many people make new year's resolutions but can't keep them. The excitement that goes with entering a new year is not strong enough to make things work spontaneously. 

A new year's resolution is "a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year"- Cambridge dictionary.

Is there any line of error in this practice?

Most new year's resolutions are vague
Most new year's resolutions are unrealistic 
Most new year's resolutions have no blueprint
Most new year's resolutions have no compelling reasons behind them
Most new year's resolutions lack deliberate actions.

To help you get it right, I have narrowed down my personal development niche to help people set compelling and achievable goals. Reading the right material will help you move out of the crowd with a discernable, goal-oriented attitude.

Instead of making a new year's resolution, set compelling goals.

1. START WITH A STRONG WHY: The best way to stay strong throughout your journey is to have a strong why. This will keep you inspired, motivated and courageous. Having a strong "why" gives you a firm foundation.

2. DOCUMENT YOUR GOALS: Write your goals down and keep them where you can see them every day. Read them daily.

3. BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR GOALS: Clarity helps you to know what you want. It helps you to differentiate between negative opportunities and positive opportunities. It gives you focus.

4. BE SPECIFIC: One of the reasons people can't achieve their goals is because their goals are too vague. Narrow your goal to a specific thing you want to achieve. Instead of saying I want to lose weight. Say I want to lose 5kg of weight. 

5. SET AN ACHIEVABLE TIMEFRAME: How long will it take you to achieve this goal of losing 5kg of weight. Is your time frame achievable? Set timeframes according to your ability. 

 

6. SET MILESTONES: If your goal is to lose 5 kg of weight in 5 weeks, what will be the evidence that you are making progress? Setting milestones will help you keep track of your progress. If by week 1 you lose 1kg weight, you'll know your goal is achievable and it will help to strengthen you more.

7. CREATE AN ACTION PLAN: Most resolutions and goals fail because they lack step-by-step guide on how to achieve them. Don't just stop at setting the goals, write a detailed procedure on how to make them work. Set a specific timeframe for each activity.

8. TAKE ACTION: Your goals and plans will not work by themselves if you do not take action. Take action, no matter how small. Don't think of starting big. It is very okay to start small. You move from place to place by starting with just a step. It is the cumulative effect of those small steps that take you to your destination. Start small but don't settle for less.

Don't make a new year's resolution, set compelling goals. You have to be actively involved. You have to be the one turning your steering in the direction you want.

John Ukpanukpong.