By Jessica Brewer
Beacon Columnist
And here we are yet again — at the precipice of a brand-new year. We are being given a fresh chance to succeed at our goals. Once that clock strikes midnight, you’re going to be ready and able to make the life-altering changes you’ve been dreaming of for years!
You may be thinking, “This time will be different; I will stick to my goals.” You may have plans to be super strict with your diet or workout routine, or to completely change your whole lifestyle overnight.
The elephant in the room is that New Year’s resolutions have very low success rates — less than 10%, to be exact. You read that right. More than 90% of New Year’s resolutions are destined for failure. In fact, 1 in 4 people quit their resolutions by the end of the first week, and nearly half quit by the end of January. Fast-forward to mid-February, and nearly all New Year’s resolutions have been forfeited.
Studies show time and again that we, as humans, do not do well with goals like this. Goals that are abrupt, strict or unrealistic will set you up for failure faster than you can say, “Welcome to the U.P., eh.”
The most common reasons people give for abandoning their resolutions are being too busy, losing motivation or having a change in their point of focus. In addition to these reasons, people intentionally give up on their resolutions, often fail at their resolutions because the goal was too large and lacked smaller, more immediate goals to boost confidence and morale; the goal itself was unrealistic (regarding difficulty and/or time frame); or there was no plan in place to accomplish the desired goal.
To cheer you up a bit, let me tell you this: Having goals for the new year is not a bad thing at all. Goals are great for personal development and for improving your life. You might just need to make a few changes to how you set goals, as well as modifications to your strategies for achieving those goals.
For starters, while it is great to be ambitious, it is crucial to set goals that are realistic. For instance, starting a workout routine of five days a week in the gym may be a bit too ambitious, whereas starting with two to three days a week would be more realistic — and therefore more achievable. It is also necessary to give yourself grace for when you have “human moments.” This means that when you “slip up” on your new goals for a day or two, you don’t decide to quit altogether — you just regroup and keep going.
Additionally, don’t change too much too fast. Starting with one change at a time has a better success rate than attempting to make multiple changes at once. For example, rather than changing your diet and starting a new exercise routine at the same time, pick one. Go at that one change for a few weeks until you feel confident about it, and then consider adding something else to the mix.
Give yourself plenty of time; any change worth making usually takes time. And during that time, you will likely have moments of higher and lower motivation. If you rely solely on motivation, you will likely end up not achieving your goals. Knowing that you can persevere even in times of low motivation is a major key to success. If it’s taking longer than you expect to reach a goal, don’t give up on it. Instead, reevaluate your strategy and keep moving forward.
Lastly, be sure to focus on your mental health, too. Your mental health is arguably more important than your physical health; if your mental health is in a bad place, life will be a whole lot harder overall. Prioritize rest, self-care, meditation, journaling and anything else that keeps your figurative cup full.
We are all capable of making positive changes in our life, but knowing the best ways to set and achieve our goals is essential. By incorporating the tips provided here, giving yourself time and grace and believing you are capable of making a change, you can set yourself up to have the most successful year yet.