You’re celebrating the end of the year and reflect on everything you’ve done. You share the fun times you’ve had with loved ones and remember the stressful ones. Perhaps it felt like the worst year of your life. However, next year will be different. We will make a New Year’s resolutions list and everything will be better. Or so you think.
New Year, Same Thing
So why do New Year resolutions suck? Before I answer that, let me remind everyone that I’m not a scientist and this is just my opinion. Now then. I believe New Year Resolutions are a way of tricking yourself into having temporary happiness. What do you mean by that Alain? I’ll explain.
I don’t know about you, but when I used to set goals for the new year I looked forward to them. It kept me thrilled to think about all the new things I wanted to do… until the day drew closer. When the days got closer, I was always too busy and I ended up pushing my goals even further down the year. And when that day came around, I did the same thing. I kept pushing and pushing until I fell into a depressive state for not being able to achieve my goals. It felt like a rinse and repeat from the previous year.
I believe when we save goals for the future it’s just something that we’re pushing off till later. Sound familiar? Procrastination. Now, I understand we can’t start some things because they fall on specific days or you just physically can’t achieve them, but, a lot of people end up just pushing their goals indefinitely because they’ve moved on to other more important things.
Don’t Procrastinate
Unless you have a sincere limitation or reason for not being able to get started, I challenge you to get started on whatever it is that you want to save for next year. Perhaps you want that beach bod for summer, or maybe you want to knock out a chapter a day on a new book you bought, or maybe you want to meditate every day. Whatever it is, get started today. Start off small and work your way up.
If your goal is to have a beach bod by summer, but you’re to busy to knock out hour-long gym sessions, perhaps opt for the stairs at work/school, or use a standing desk; these are small changes that can help you get to your overall goal of having that beach bod.
How about if you wanted to read a chapter of a book a day but feel like you don’t have time? Well, try reading a bit during your lunch break or whenever you have some downtime. Instead of pulling out your phone and engaging in social media, read a paragraph. “But what if I don’t want to carry a book around with me?” Then you’re just making excuses and procrastinating because they have digital books, kindles/e-readers, and ways around it all.
Want to meditate but feel like you don’t have the time? Wake up a couple of minutes earlier and start off your day by doing a guided meditation session. Personally, I use an app called “Meditation” by a company called Down Dog. I highly suggest it as your subscription would get you access to all their apps: Yoga, HIIT, Meditation, Barre, and Prenatal Yoga. They are not a sponsor, nor am I affiliated with them, I just believe in their products and use them daily.
Final Thoughts on New Year Resolutions
Essentially, I think New Year Resolutions suck because they are a way of pushing your goals down the line. It’s a fun, gimmicky list that you get to share at parties around the New Year as a conversation starter. I believe if you truly wanted to achieve something for the following year, you would get started today by making small adjustments in your life. If you start small you’ll eventually get to your end goal.
If you are ready to begin on your task but don’t know how to make achievable goals, I covered this topic in my post How to Achieve Your Goals Without Giving Up. I suggest giving that a read if you need help. It covers the S.M.A.R.T. goal system as well as other tips and tricks to help you stay on track.
I invite you to write what some of your goals are in the comments below and share what has worked for you.