WHY YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FAIL
Resolutions can be set for an array of things. From hobbies to fitness to financial success, to promotions – it’s a way to start the year off right and focus on what we’d like to achieve.
Setting goals, especially at the beginning of a new year, is great because it gives you something to work towards.
But did you know that only 9% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions? (Inc)
Giving up on your resolutions after a month can make you feel demotivated and insecure. Setting goals are all about improving mental and physical well-being – so why do our goals put us down and end up having an adverse effect?
If you want 2023 to be a year of not just accomplishing goals, but feeling good as you accomplish them – keep reading.
YOU SET UNREALISTIC GOALS
You’ve probably seen those fitness ads over the internet where you’re sold a dream of losing 50 lbs in 2 months.
Not only is this completely unrealistic, but it’s also extremely unhealthy for your body and for your mind to even attempt something like this.
People set these sorts of goals with lots of things and as a result – fail. In fact, one study found that 35% of participants failed to see their resolutions fruition because they had unrealistic goals (Lobservateur). What makes it unrealistic can be due to two things: time and routine.
Time
Firstly, it’s impossible to lose 50 lbs healthily in 2 months.
Elongating the goal gives you the chance to build healthy habits and turn that goal into an attainable and positive lifestyle. There’s no point in exhausting yourself to reach a goal in a limited time frame to end up dropping it all once you reach it. If your goal is to lose 50 lbs, redefine the goal where it goes beyond the mere numbers on the scale but your overall happiness and health.
Slowly seeing results will help you to feel accomplished during the process because you’re not beating yourself when you see no change in a couple of weeks.
Routine
If exercising and healthy eating isn’t a part of your day-to-day lifestyle, it’s going to be tough to go from 0 – 100.
Rather than setting a goal of going to the gym 4 times a week and going completely vegan, aim to go to the gym once a week, take a nice walk, and substitute water for sugary drinks. This may feel useless at the moment, but if you push yourself too hard, you’re going to feel so drained and overwhelmed that you want to stop.
YOU DON’T KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS
If you’re unable to look back at how you’ve improved, you’ll lose the motivation to keep going and making changes to do better.
It also helps you to pick yourself back up if you slack on your goals or make a mistake along the way.
This can happen a lot in the workplace. If you don’t track your performance, you probably don’t have a daily plan or to-do list, have articulated goals, or analyse your work to improve next time. Not only does this leave room for insecurities if you make a mistake one day, but it can make you more prone to mistakes too.
Tracking performance is all about self-awareness. According to BetterUp, self-awareness:
Gives you the power to influence outcomes (accomplish that goal!)
Gives you a greater ability to regulate your emotions (lots of setbacks when working towards a goal)
Decreases stress
Makes us happier
If you don’t know where you are, where you need to be, and how what changes you need to make to get there – it can make accomplishing goals really tough.
Not to mention, keeping track also entails writing things down, taking photos, keeping a journal, making a spreadsheet – whatever is needed so you can see your progress and hold yourself accountable. Studies show that you’re far more likely to achieve your goals by writing them down – one study showed you’re 42% more likely (Full Focus)
So don’t keep the goals in your head – write them down!
YOU MADE TOO MANY RESOLUTIONS
On the 31st of December, you might have come up with all these goals that are going to enhance your life, improve your health, and make you more money. You’re determined to complete all 27 of them and you know 2023 is going to be your year…
And then you forget them.
23% of people say they failed their resolutions because they forgot
1 in 10 people say it’s because they made too many resolutions
Source: Discover Happy Habits
We set lots of goals because we want drastic changes. Making drastic changes makes us feel like we have our lives all together. Sorry to break it to you but setting lots of goals will only make you feel the exact opposite.
It’s challenging to achieve one resolution, so how could you conjure up the determination to achieve 26 others?
Oftentimes, the 2-3 goals you set will help you to develop a mindset of discipline, self-care, and ambition which will naturally help improve other aspects of your life. Choose 2-3 that you know will have a huge impact on your day-to-day, rather than filling the list with little things that you won’t pay attention to or get side-tracked by.
- Written by Tim Macmillan
NEED SOME FRIENDLY ADVICE OR MORE TIPS?
If you are looking for more advice or help finding your next job, we can help, please give us a call on: 0117 301 8495 or take a look at our jobs page. Alternatively, if you’re an employer in the South West and South Wales looking to recruit and need someone with real recruiting expertise then we can help – let’s chat.