Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail, and How You Can Buck the Trend
It’s still early in the year, which means that New Year’s resolutions are still at the forefront. It’s only been a week, but have you been staying faithful to your resolutions, or are you starting to feel discouraged or just plain bored? Don’t worry — you’re not alone. In fact, it’s pretty widely known that most New Year’s Resolutions don’t even make it to the end of January, much less to the end of the year.
One article from 2004 says that of the 51% of Americans who do make New Year’s Resolutions, 79% lack a plan for accomplishing those goals. In other words, only about half of adults in American resolve to do something to change their lives, and more than three quarters of them have no idea how they’re going to do it. That makes for a lot of frustrated people.
Here’s how another writer put it:
Trying to change a behavior without working on the “wiring” is like trying to convince yourself to drink buttermilk when the very thought of it makes you want to puke. Let’s face it, if you hate working out at the gym, then buying a three-year contract at your local fitness center in hopes that it will somehow shame you into working off that beer gut is nuts! (Something you may have learned from painful experience.)
So what’s the key to success when it comes to making and keeping resolutions? "Reality coach" Fred Tutwiler offers these tips:
- Ask yourself why you want this particular resolution to come true.
- If your life was set up to support you in having the outcome you want, you probably would already have it.
- Stop looking outside yourself for why you don’t have what you want.
- Retrain your environment, friends and family to support your resolution.
- Choose the meaningful path for yourself.
For details on on how Fred recommends you change the status quo, check out his article "New Year’s Resolutions: Why They Fail, What You Can Do About It."
What some more advice to help you keep your resolutions? Check out "10 Reasons Why Resolutions Fail," complete with tips for making yours a success.
What’s working for you? What’s not? Leave a comment!
Tags: womens health, woman, health, goal setting, new years resolutions
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POSTED IN: Encouragement, Energize Me
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