Does anyone still make these anymore? Apparently so. I really like the idea - starting a new year, starting a change, starting fresh... But I think it all comes down to the approach.
Forbes says only 8% of people actually achieve their resolutions each year. This is just my take, but here's why I think so many people are unsuccessful.
Unreasonable goals. It's a bit ridiculous to say, "I'm going to hit the gym 4-5 times a week" when you've never hit the gym in your life. It's unreasonable to say "I'm going to lose 200 pounds this year" because...well, because that's a lot of weight and it takes time. It's unreasonable to say "I'm going to fall in love this year" because you never know when that's going to happen, and forcing it is usually a bad situation.
Goals are too generic. You can't make a resolution that you'll make more money this year without having a plan to do it. You can't tell yourself that you're going to spend more time with your family without looking at your schedule and figuring out what you're going to drop to free up some time. Telling yourself you're going to lose weight this year without creating a reasonable plan to do it will get you nowhere. Well actually, that's not true, you will to one place - a point of frustration..
Discipline. Perhaps the biggest one. Anyone can make a New Year's resolution, but only a select few will follow through with it. Most people stick with it for 2-3 weeks, and then it's back to the daily routine they had before New Year's hit. That's where the two points above come in handy - having a reasonable goal, and a proper plan to achieve that goal will help keep you motivated.
I didn't make an official resolution this year, but I did join a gym. My plan is to go 1-3 times a week, and I'm not going to kick myself if I miss a week, I'll just try to get back at it the next week. At the beginning I'm not setting specific goals until I actually start hitting the gym and seeing where I am, and then how quickly I progress. Then I'll evaluate and make a plan of how much weight I'd like to lose and by when, how good I'd like my cardio to be, and how much I want to be able to bench press (for example) and by when.
For me, I'm working at a slow and steady approach, and trying to make it something that won't overwhelm me. That'll just lead to failure, and I want to be in that 8%.
Forbes says only 8% of people actually achieve their resolutions each year. This is just my take, but here's why I think so many people are unsuccessful.
Unreasonable goals. It's a bit ridiculous to say, "I'm going to hit the gym 4-5 times a week" when you've never hit the gym in your life. It's unreasonable to say "I'm going to lose 200 pounds this year" because...well, because that's a lot of weight and it takes time. It's unreasonable to say "I'm going to fall in love this year" because you never know when that's going to happen, and forcing it is usually a bad situation.
Goals are too generic. You can't make a resolution that you'll make more money this year without having a plan to do it. You can't tell yourself that you're going to spend more time with your family without looking at your schedule and figuring out what you're going to drop to free up some time. Telling yourself you're going to lose weight this year without creating a reasonable plan to do it will get you nowhere. Well actually, that's not true, you will to one place - a point of frustration..
Discipline. Perhaps the biggest one. Anyone can make a New Year's resolution, but only a select few will follow through with it. Most people stick with it for 2-3 weeks, and then it's back to the daily routine they had before New Year's hit. That's where the two points above come in handy - having a reasonable goal, and a proper plan to achieve that goal will help keep you motivated.
I didn't make an official resolution this year, but I did join a gym. My plan is to go 1-3 times a week, and I'm not going to kick myself if I miss a week, I'll just try to get back at it the next week. At the beginning I'm not setting specific goals until I actually start hitting the gym and seeing where I am, and then how quickly I progress. Then I'll evaluate and make a plan of how much weight I'd like to lose and by when, how good I'd like my cardio to be, and how much I want to be able to bench press (for example) and by when.
For me, I'm working at a slow and steady approach, and trying to make it something that won't overwhelm me. That'll just lead to failure, and I want to be in that 8%.
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