
It’s nothing personal; research shows that 80% of New Year’s Resolutions are broken and forgotten by February 15th. Why are resolutions so hard to keep? In short, the list of reasons ranges from lack of clarity of goals to unrealistic expectations. On top of that, according to some psychologists, the word itself hardly programs the brain for commitment and motivation, which are vital for success.
Despite the fact that at the end of December, most of us reflect on the year behind us and look at the new year as a fresh beginning, the reality is that May 5th, August 30th, or November 19th are equally as good to create a new beginning and make changes. To put it bluntly, ANY day you decide to improve something about yourself or your life is a GREAT day to start.
Therefore, the real question to ponder is not WHEN is a good time to start? On the contrary, it should be WHY haven’t you done it already? Stop for a moment to ponder why is it that you haven’t done what you wanted to? For instance, are you stuck in a dead-end job or relationship? Did you lose 20 pounds and then just give up before hitting the goal? Worse than that did you gain it all back? Don’t beat yourself up over it, but do be rigorously honest with yourself. WHAT has gotten in-between you and achieving your goals? And, what will be different in this New Year’s resolution?
The usual culprits are:
- Absence of clearly defined and realistic goals
- Unsustainable motivation and commitment
- Limiting-beliefs that lead to procrastination or sabotage success
- Making costly mistakes that deplete time and resources
- Using the SAME thinking to solve a problem that created them
“Problems cannot be solved by the same thinking that created them.”
Albert Einstein
To put it another way, the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.” If any of this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Even still, hundreds of thousands of people go through the same cyclical process several times a year, every year. If you’ve made New Year’s resolutions year after year and failed repeatedly, it can be so discouraging. However, the worst thing you can do is allow yourself to become a victim of circumstance and give up.
Nothing changes until something changes
Remember, it takes courage, and it takes energy, but you have the chance to begin again. Furthermore, you can change and overcome challenges. In fact, you have everything you need inside of you to succeed right now. In other words, you have the power to break through self-limiting beliefs. On top of that, there is nothing that can stop you from becoming the person you want to be and creating the life you want to live accept for you.
With this in mind, remember that if you want a different result, you have to do something different. Moreover, something inside you must change before anything outside of you can change. To be clear, you can make New Year’s resolutions all you want, but until something is different, you will keep getting the same results.
Bear in mind that whatever it is you do today, you are creating your future. That means if you decide to do nothing today, you are creating your future. Similarly, if you “go for it” today, you are creating your future. In short, the second you decide to act and push yourself out of your comfort zone, you win.
So, with 2021 here (thank goodness!!) what are your goals?
Not surprisingly, here are 6 common areas of life and goals. Of course, these are very general and we recommend that yours be as specific and detailed as possible.
Career
- Reduce stress and create life-work balance
- Plan a better career path or transition
- Improve professional skills (presentation, leadership, time-management, etc.)
- Start or grow a business
Finances:
- Pay off credit card debt
- Establish a nest egg
- Save for large purchases
- Invest
- Plan retirement
Spirituality:
- Deepen commitment to spiritual practices
- Broaden your understanding of religious philosophies
- Learn to practice The Law of Attraction
- Seek answers to questions you ponder or don’t understand
- Grow along spiritual lines and principles
Health and Wellness
- Establish daily self-care routines
- Nutritional goals,
- Exercise and physical goals
- Wellness goals (for ex: stress management)
- Lifestyle changes.
Relationships: family; romantic; social
- Meeting the love of your life
- Improving your current relationship with the love of your life
- Getting along better with your parents or colleagues
- Communication with your teenage children
- Broadening your social circle
Personal growth;
- Build confidence; end procrastination; become proactive
- Develop a happier attitude; learn to think positively
- Overcome limiting beliefs; find one’s purpose and passion
- Break bad habits, create good ones
The first thing to believe is that any of these goals are possible. Have confidence that if any of them (or others) appeal to you, YOU CAN. At the moment, it might feel like moving a mountain, but trust that one step at a time, they can be achieved.
In the long run, when you decide to “go for it,” it does not matter what you call it, be it New Year’s resolution or just a commitment to change.
However, you must:
- see it clearly and believe you can do it.
- become the person you need to be to achieve it.
- develop the dicipline and character to make your goal reality
- don’t be the person who wants success, be the person willing to fight for it.
Fortunately, one thing you DON” T have to do is to go it alone. Seriously, no one is coming to do it for you, so you do have to get your a## in gear and get busy. However, you don’t have to fly solo. As a matter of fact, DO get support. At the center of success is having the support you need to go the distance. For this reason, DO find someone who can help you clarify your goals. By all means, DO find someone who will hold you accountable and help you remember your why. If you’ve tried in the past and come up short, DO get an outside perspective that is objective. The next question is, Who is that person? If you don’t have an answer already, we suggest working with a professional coach.
A coach is skilled in helping you:
- Clarify your goals and create a robust and actionable plan
- Identify blocks that have gotten in the way of success in the past & help you overcome them.
- Help you stay motivated, committed, and hold you accountable.
- Collaborate with you to form a “think-tank” and come up with ideas that you wouldn’t have had on your own.
- Save you time and money because you are less likely to make mistakes and get off track.
Life coaching works! Life Coach Library makes finding a coach you love convenient and RISK-FREE. When you register and complete a short survey, we’ll match you with up to three coaches who will offer you a complimentary coaching consolation. From there, you choose the best coach for you and start reaching your goals! The best part? Our service is FREE.
You haven’t lived your best year yet! Will 2021 be it?