Are New Year Resolutions a setup for failure? by Yolandie Smith

With the New Year ahead of us, New Year resolutions are inevitable (well at least those 40% of us who make them). Statistics show that 4 out of 5 people who make resolutions will fail in them within the first month. When braked down this only gives you a 20% chance of succeeding, so are resolutions just a setup for failure or are they worthwhile?

The most common resolutions are to lose weight, quite smoking, be a nice person, make time for your loved ones, save more money and get a new job. All of these are life changing events, so why can we not stick to them? If our life will change for the better what prohibits us from taking these steps?

You are restrained by your subconscious mind

Your resolution is to find a new job. Your conscious thoughts decide this, however your subconscious mind tells you that you are not qualified enough, the salary won’t be as good as the one you are getting at the moment etc. Taking all of these factors into consideration you decide subconsciously that you are better off where you are. Suddenly you throw in the towel before you even get started.

You have more than one resolution

Your resolution is to quit smoking and be a nice person. For sometime it goes alright, but you crave a cigarette desperately now and your mood is very sensitive. You unnecessarily jump down everyone’s throat and people walk on egg shells around you. There goes the resolution of being a nice person.

Lack of a support system

Your resolution is to Have more money. Your friends decide to go out for dinner and a movie, not willing to feel left behind you tag along. The next day you are invited to another social event which requires more money. Your budgeting resolution is now out the window.

Stress

Your resolution is to lose weight. You start back at work and sooner than later stress levels go up again, with all the work that has to be done you skip lunch, after half an hour the craving pains kick in. You now feel exhausted and you quickly run down to the canteen to grab the burger that you saw this morning. There goes your resolution to lose weight.
A few hundred people in the whole world will make their resolutions a long lasting, life changing experience, the chances of people succeeding when making new years resolutions are much better than not making any. Committing to something gives us a sense of responsibly to ourselves. And if you are one of those who are lucky and hardworking people that do succeed, then you have a sense of pride in yourself along with your newly accomplished resolution.

Some things to keep in mind when making resolutions:

– Keep it simple and within your reach.
– Don’t aim for something unrealistic.
– Write down your resolutions and read it every day. Doing this keeps you
motivated.
– Get a support system; you will be much more effective if you report to
someone either than yourself.
– When you fail don’t give up! Try again, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
– Reward yourself every month that you keep your resolutions, for example have a treatment at a spa, a new outfit etc. Keeping in mind what your resolutions are and not breaking them.
– Don’t reward yourself with a cigarette when your goal is to quit smoking, be responsible about it.

A New Year’s resolution is a commitment that a person makes. We all want so have a success story, we all want to live up to our expectations, so why not start with a resolution.