New Year Resolutions
The New Year is seen by many as a fresh start, a one for removing bad habits and creating new resolutions to better yourself. Let's discuss the tradition of resolutions…
After the Romans established the 1st January as the beginning of the year, it symbolised looking back on the previous year and into the future. Romans made sacrifices and promises of good conduct to the gods for the coming year. Today we make promises to ourselves which focus on self improvement however, if we are setting goals to only better ourselves why is it that the failure rate is so high at 80%.
In order for our resolutions to benefit us we thought we should share why most resolutions fail and help to make this year our most successful year yet.
Realistic goals
We all want better for ourselves and it's very easy to glamorise who we want to be but when it comes to putting in the work in order to achieve that version of yourself many give up at the first hurdle. Most of the resolutions we set are unrealistic which demotivate us in trying to achieve them. Although the small goals don't sound impressive, they are far more likely to be achieved and we think bettering yourself in any way is impressive in itself. So while it's a good idea to think of the big picture, set small goals that will help you to get there instead.
Thinking you will get results instantly
Just like anything worth having, it takes time and hard work. The most common mistake in setting resolutions is believing that these will come into effect instantly, but it's important to understand these are a year set resolution which means each month work must be done in order to be able to say you have reached this particular goal by the following year. If you are someone who struggles to look at the bigger picture and wants results instantly then set small targets monthly which will help to work towards the main resolution, that way you can hold yourself accountable each month.
Believing in yourself
A lot of times we set resolutions with the mindset of not actually thinking we will complete them. Sometimes there can be a very fine line between a resolution and a dream and the only thing that connects the two is believing that you can achieve it. Belief is the answer to improving ourselves, without belief we cannot hold a vision, there will be lack of willpower, no resilience and no drive to go through with the action. Therefore, why don’t you make your resolution this year to start believing in yourself as this is the first hurdle many fall at. You can reach this goal by reading books, proving yourself wrong, pushing your boundaries and talking to others for support. Once you improve on this, resolutions for the years to come will be much more beneficial.
Understand why
It's very easy for us to know where we want to be and what kind of resolutions we want to make in order to better ourselves. However, the important part in doing this is understanding why we make these resolutions because if we don't constantly remember the why, it's very hard to motivate ourselves to keep pushing through. We suggest creating a vision board for where you aspire to be and the accomplishments you aim to achieve this year. A vision board is the best way to stay focused on the future and not held down by the past.
We think setting resolutions is a great way to move into the new year with a positive outlook and we would love to hear which ones you are setting for 2022.