Skip Resolutions. Set Goals Instead.

The idea of a resolution sounds great. It is a New Year…let’s make big changes and do something dramatic. Right? Well, not always. Here’s the thing. Resolutions rarely work. By as early as February, 80% of Americans have given up on their New Year’s Resolutions. Are you one of them?

Why do Resolutions fail?

Often resolutions are too extreme and we give up on them very early for three reasons:

1. The resolution you made starts to feel too hard

2. You aren’t seeing progress

3. It’s hard to stick to them 100% of the time.

Resolutions tend to be very rigid which works for some individuals. It is great to make a decision and stick to it. But when we can’t make the resolution last, it’s easy to be defeated. You might decide to set a resolution to hit 10,000 steps every day, but when you miss a day you start to feel like you’ve failed.

I am not a fan of resolutions. Instead, I encourage my clients to set GOALS at the start of a new year. Goals are more fun, more realistic, and the best way toward lasting change. Resolutions are open ended statements of what you want to change. A goal is something you want to achieve long term, with steps on how you plan to get there, and when you want to achieve it.

The key to making these goals come to fruition is establishing action steps for how you are actually going to get there. There is no guesswork and there is no willpower.

Resolutions require a lot of willpower. And forcing ourselves into a new habit only works for so long. When we set GOALS and establish a plan for accomplishing it, not every day has to be perfect. How freeing is that? When we “have” to stick to a resolution with little room for human error, it is hard to get excited about it.

The best way to create goals that last is to plan for potential obstacles ahead. If we know how we are going to combat the hurdles we might encounter, we set ourselves up for a win. Obstacles don’t hinder our end result, as long as we learn from any setbacks and use them to propel us forward. Perfection is nearly impossible, so we need to allow ourselves room to learn and grow through the process of achieving a goal.

Let’s use weight loss as an example. If we have a resolution to cut out all sweets, this is very restrictive. Failure is inevitable because it would be very easy to quit as soon as we overindulge just one time. If we have a goal to decrease our body fat composition over a year’s time, the process becomes easier and less stressful.

There are multiple ways to go about changing our body composition. We can gradually add a variety of healthy habits to our daily lives over time. We avoid setting ourselves up for failure because we know that there is more than one way to get to the goal. When we consistently take small steps to new actions, we set ourselves up for lifetime success.

If you want to reach a goal in the New Year, make sure you do the following:

1. Know your why – your reason for wanting your goal has to be compelling for you

2. Establish SMART Goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound

3. Plan for obstacles and setbacks – they will happen, so know how you are going to handle them ahead of time

4. Be patient – real change does not happen overnight but over time

5. Be kind to yourself – give yourself credit for your achievements and don’t beat yourself up when you struggle

6. Celebrate the wins – It makes the process more fun, propels your energy and helps keep your attitude positive

7. Build on small habits – gradually add more and more habits or new action steps over time until they are routine

8. Step out of your comfort zone – you will be amazed at what you are capable of

9. Ensure accountability – Hire a coach or have a friend hold you to your goal

10. Work on your mindset – this is the most important thing you can do

11. Break a big goal into smaller goals – break it down as much as possible so it is not overwhelming

12. Plan one week at a time – plan everything ahead of time, put it on paper, commit to it and make sure it happens

You truly can do anything you set your mind to. If you have a goal you are wanting to meet in 2023 and need some help, let me know. I would love to help.