Why do resolutions fail often? And how can we make them succeed?
It’s that time of the year again where we look back to see how far we’ve come. During this period, there is an inevitable impulse to reflect on our experiences and events within this time frame of a year as a means of measuring our story and its progress throughout. It’s safe to say, a new year is like writing a new chapter in your book.
As it’s a basic human need that we always want to do better and strive for the best in order to grow, we lay out certain regulations and aspirations for ourselves that are thought to lead the way to our desired success. While this is a good strategy in most cases, it doesn’t always meet up with our expectations. Therefore, we eventually give up and get demotivated to try again.
According to research, almost half of us make new year resolutions; it is an invitation to change into something better, forming a motivational push that carries a positive feeling with it to hide the guilt that follows the holiday season, and is a chance to let go of old habits.
The most important question is why do 90.8% feel that they are unsuccessful in achieving their resolution? ideas group conducted a research by interviewing a sample of people from different cultures, ages, education level, and professions, and has gathered the below 4 reasons why people fail in achieving their resolutions:
Instant Gratification We’ve heard it one too many times that change doesn’t happen overnight. It is quite a process that takes its own time to formulate into what it needs to become. We tend to give up easily when there is no instant satisfaction and immediate results from our efforts.
Social Reality We are pretty much influenced by everything around us. It takes persistence, consistency, and a strong will to be able to stand your ground and stick to your decisions. The competitive and fast-moving world around us only makes it more challenging.
Self-inflicted pressure We often want to take a big leap to get ahead so we set over-the-top goals for ourselves, which tend to be unrealistic and much tougher to achieve. Success comes in layers and good things take time. One size does not fit all in matters of development, and so forcefulness is often met with resistance.
So how can we succeed in achieving our resolution?
Clarify your objectives. You can’t get what you want if you don’t know what you want. Ask yourself why you chose this resolution, and how you see it influencing your life a few years from now, otherwise what’s the point? Most importantly, is it you who wants to make this change or is it imposed on you by external factors, friends, or family? Keep your own needs in check.
Make it a habit. It takes 21-40 days to foster a habit, depending on different people, and about 90 days to build a lifestyle. It’s important to set the right intentions because they are powerful in manifesting our desired results. Remember it every time you feel like you’re drifting off. One way to help this further, is to replace the habit with another by taking the better route. Every time you make a decision, you shift into that version of yourself. Keep this in mind.
Have an accountability buddy. Sometimes to make a positive change in our life, we will need to eliminate some other things that are not aligned with our goal. Temptations are everywhere, and without the right social support it is easy to get off track. Surround yourself in the environment you want to belong to. Put yourself first and make self-care your priority.
Enjoy the journey. It’s absolutely normal and expected that there will be obstacles and hurdles along the way, but that is no reason to give up. Find a way to enjoy this road. Progress isn’t meant to be a punishment, it is a journey and albeit not an easy one. Thinking long and hard into things is not always productive, on the contrary, it delays the process. A lot of pondering means not enough doing and this gets us even more frustrated. Consider that sometimes we are simply not ready for a certain change, so don’t take yourself too seriously if you’re not keeping up. Have fun and let it flow smoothly and naturally
Start small and celebrate often. By now we know that some things are harder to change and we can’t speed the process, and while each person has different needs and ways of developing, it’s definitely not a race. Take it one step at a time. Break your long-term goal into shorter goals and set a time-frame for each. Start with 10 days, and reward yourself for your efforts. Track your progress. Give yourself credit. Celebrate. The reason for this is it pumps more serotonin in your brain, which will motivate you to continue your journey and enjoy it along the way.
We at ideas group believe that life is all about learning and therefore, developing, and throughout this journey it’s very important to have fun. It is in our core to desire the best for everyone and encourage their becoming along the way.
That being said, we would like to wish you all a very prosperous year ahead, with all the best support and upgrades that will contribute to your growth.
So, are you ready to kick off this new chapter in your life?