As one year leaves and another comes, many people take this opportunity for a fresh start. They want to reinvent themselves into a better version. As nice as this sounds, most of the changes they hope to make end up failing miserably, for many reasons.
To begin with, as people make their resolutions, they want the changes to happen quickly. They are only focusing on the short term, not the long term. The thing is, change has to happen gradually.
If a person’s goal is to lose weight, it’s easy to immediately cut out all junk food and exercise every day. Although this tactic may work for a couple weeks, eventually, he or she will fall back to his or her old ways. However, if a person takes the time to slowly change his or her diet and only begin with exercising a couple of days a week, the changes will stick.
Another reason New Year’s resolutions fail is because people quit when the going gets tough. As soon as they have a bad day, they throw in the towel and think they’re a lost cause. Changing a lifestyle is not easy. It takes time and commitment. When a person has a bad day, they have to remember that it’s just that, a bad day. Once the day is over, they can start again.
A third reason for why New Year’s resolutions fail is because people focus on unrealistic goals. If someone’s goal is to lose 200 pounds in one year, the odds of them actually achieving this goal are slim. Plus, when they don’t see the results they desire, they give up.
If people instead focus on more realistic goals as in losing one to two pounds per week or going to the gym three times a week, they are more likely to stick with their program. These goals are also small enough that a person can track their changes, rather than if their goal is too big, which makes it difficult to see the changes.
So all in all, if you are one to make New Year’s resolutions, be smart about them. Take into consideration that changing a lifestyle takes time and effort. If you make realistic goals and stick to your plan, you will begin to see the changes you desire.