Why New Year's Resolutions Usually Don't Work -- And What You Can Do to Reach Your Goal
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Self Improvement > Goal Setting
Aug 3, 2007
questmedia
Why New Year's Resolutions Usually Don't Work -- And What You Can Do to Reach Your Goal
It's the New Year and everyone is making resolutions to change. Change for the better is always a good thing -- and one of the first steps toward becoming successful. But believe it or not, some people have already broken their resolutions. And millions more will do so in the next few days or weeks. Only a handful will actually keep their New Year's resolutions. Why is that? Why do people fail to keep their resolutions? The reason is very simple -- they fail to take action. Sounds simplistic, but it's reality. Resolutions are made because people know they need to change. They understand how changing will help them. And the resolution is their way of making some kind of decision to change. Resolutions encompass everything needed to make a change -- except the action. And the reason we fail to take action is this: Somewhere between the time we make the resolution and the time we would have followed through with it, we make another decision. Only this decision isn't based on what we know and understand. It's based on how we feel. We make an emotional decision. And that decision is to not take action. People who are successful with their resolutions stick with the decision they make and take action. They don't let their emotions sway them from following through. Emotions love comfort. They love feeling good. They like to be pampered. They want satisfaction immediately. And we love to indulge them. Change for the better, on the other hand, requires discipline, self-control, and sometimes it even requires pain. It's not comfortable. It doesn't usually feel good (until after the change is made). And it can often take a long time before you experience satisfaction. But if you want to successfully keep your New Year's resolution, you've got to be willing to accept these hardships. Unfortunately, when we make resolutions, all we're thinking about is what it will be like once we change. We rarely make the decision based on what it will take to get there. And there's an easy way to overcome this problem. All you have to do is carve your resolution up into smaller, bite-sized resolutions. Instead of resolving to get in shape, make a decision to walk for 10 minutes a day. Do that at the same time every day for three weeks. Once it's a habit, then move it up to 20 minutes a day -- at the same time each day. After three weeks, move it up to 30 minutes a day. And keep moving it up (or adding other exercises) until you're in shape. You can do the same with just about any resolution you make. To lose weight, for example, focus on one meal a day. Figure out how to make that meal satisfying, healthy, and with fewer calories. Once you've got that meal down pat, move to the next one. And so on. Don't just desire the change. Find out what action you have to take to make it happen. Then focus on taking the action. Once you do, the end result will take care of itself.
Steve Kroening writes for Success magazine and also publishes Wisdom's Edge. You can get Biblical tips on health, finance, relationships, parenting, and success, delivered to your email inbox every week. Simply visit http://www.wisdomsedge.com and sign up for this free e-zine.
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