It’s early in the morning and your alarm has just gone off. Before you know it you are up and out of bed, starting your morning routine before you are off to the gym. Right now you aren’t the only one getting up before the sun to fulfill your New Year’s resolution.
People everywhere have made goals to get up earlier, eat healthier, and most commonly, to work out more. Gyms are just one of the many places to see the brunt of this surge in activity within the first few months of the year, as almost 80% of resolutions fail by February according to an article from The Conversation. We often find ourselves asking why this happens.
There are so many things we say to ourselves come April and May when we realize that these resolutions have not succeeded quite the way we wanted them to. We say we got too busy and that there weren’t enough hours in the day, but there are also some psychological factors as to why we can’t always hold onto resolutions.
Some of the leading reasons that New Year’s resolutions fail mainly have to do with how we are setting our goals. When we set absurd expectations for ourselves they are bound to fail because we are overestimating our ability to form a brand new habit right away.
According to an article from Verywell Mind, forming a new habit or practice can leave people in a temporary state of discomfort that is undesirable and hard to deal with. This is when we go back to how we did things before due to the comfort familiarity provides.
Another reason that these resolutions fail is that we haven’t quite prepared ourselves for the work and commitment change takes. This is why it isn’t likely to succeed with resolutions made rashly.
The real question is: how do we make our resolutions stick? The solution is actually a lot more simple than one might think. It is recommended to start small and plan out milestones for your goals. A year is a long time, so creating a timeline can help you map out your goals and obtain them the way you want as well as prepare you for the commitment you need to accomplish said goal.
This year when you are fulfilling your New Year’s resolution remember to take it slow and give yourself grace. New habits are hard to make, but with a good plan, you are set to do amazing things.
