2020 is here, and we’re a few weeks into it. Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? How is it going? Hopefully, you are sticking with it, and I do hope you are successful. I never have been in favor of New Year’s resolutions, and I never make them. Here’s why.
Primarily, I believe that if a person is ready to make a change, an arbitrary date like January 1 is meaningless. You’re either ready or you’re not. Another reason that I am anti-resolution is my gym. I’ve been a member of one gym or another for about 35 years, and every January, the gym floor looks like a shopping mall on Black Friday (before the internet). Every. Single. Year. By the end of February, life at the gym gets back to normal.
What happens? According to a study by the University of Scranton, 80 percent of people fail to achieve their resolutions, with most dropping out by mid-February. Research conducted by Strava, a social network used by athletes, found an exact date when their data showed a drop-off in fitness activities: January 12.
Why does this happen? There is a great deal of pressure to make resolutions. It’s a tradition for many people. Roughly 55 percent of New Year’s resolutions were health-related, such as exercising more and following a healthier diet, according to the science journal The Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. These are not always easy changes to make, and an individual has to be mentally ready. January 1 may not be the day you are ready!
If you feel the need to make a resolution, first ask yourself why. The answer will be your vision. For example, if you normally resolve to exercise more, and the reason is you want to be healthier, you have a vision of a healthier you. Then, start thinking about small (really small) steps you can take to get to that healthier version of yourself. It may be as small as deciding to get up 30 minutes earlier tomorrow to take a walk. Not every day, just tomorrow. And keep adding more steps. Notice, I said “tomorrow” and not January 1. As soon as you are ready, start.
A vision can be broad, such as a healthier you, or it can be something specific like running a marathon or saving $1000 for a vacation. Regardless, make yourself a list of small and specific steps you can take and begin right away. See my previous blog about the power of a good plan for some tips on how to make your plan achievable.
Some other tips on achieving your vision: tell someone, write it down, make a vision board. These things have been shown to increase your chances of success. You can do it!