Are you starting to think about a New Year’s resolution? I’ve been thinking about some goals that I would like to accomplish in the new year. I haven’t always made a New Year’s resolution because they’ve often been broken or unfulfilled.
I think I was too focused on the doing and not having a fixed purpose for why I was making a New Year’s resolution. It all changed when I had a fixed purpose.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines resolution to means: a fixed purpose or determination of mind; as a resolution to reform our lives; a resolution to undertake an expedition.
Usually eating healthy, diet or exercise tops the resolutions and I bet a lot of memberships are purchased before the first of the new year by ambitious resolution makers like me, once upon a time who desire to achieve better health.
The reality is, after just a few weeks many health centers will empty out. According to one study, only 8% of all New Year’s resolutions will be kept and most are broken before the first quarter. Some won’t even bother to make a resolution that they know they won’t keep, so why bother?
Why do New Year’s Resolution Fail? I believe it’s because like myself, many are trying to make external changes rather than making changes from the inside-out, and having genuine fixed purpose.
Too often we see the condition of our body and attempt external transformations only to quickly lose motivation and we’re right back where we were the year before. The same resolution year after year fails and we are more discouraged than ever.
I’m not saying once we make a resolution or a decision to eat healthier and exercise that we’re always perfect and never have moments where we slip. It’s not about perfection but rather about a purpose. Having a fixed purpose will prevent us from being discouraged and easily giving up.
This is why I believe New Year’s Resolutions Fail
1) Lack of Commitment: If there is a pattern of breaking commitments in our own life, chances are we will not be able to keep a New Year’s Resolution. Commitment is a promise and the ability to keep on keeping on, even when we want to quit at anything!
2) Having Doubt: Allowing doubt to filtrate our mind once we set our goals. Fear of failure causes doubt to enter in. Questioning whether or not we can meet our goals- that is called being double-minded. Being Being double-minded causes instability and will not accomplish much in any area of life, let alone a New Year’s resolution.
3) Unrealistic Goals: Setting goals that are way beyond what we can attain. Set smaller goals that are reasonable. Dream big, but start small and soon we will see progress- that will motivate us to keep moving towards that end result.
4) Self-defeating prophesies: Having negative thoughts and speaking negative words over our situation will keep us from fulfilling your New Year’s resolution. Before we even start, we are pessimistic and we wonder why we have failed our resolution only two or three weeks or for many a few days into the New Year!
5) Accountability: We are not accountable to our commitment. Having an accountability partner will keep us in check. Who we align with brings us to the next level. I’ve found that it’s important to align ourselves with like-minded people in every area of life, especially the areas that we most want to improve.
Almost ten years ago when I started my health journey to live healthier and happier, I aligned myself with people, products, and resources that will help me achieve this goal. I searched specifically for those whose health philosophies lined up with mine and read as many books as I could on the various topics.
I have to say that my health foundation being associated with a few of these individuals have not only enriched my life but also my family’s and many others along the way.
How Our New Year’s Resolution Won’t Fail
1) Have a Fixed Purpose : As Webster’s original dictionary defines, having a fixed purpose for why we are setting a New Year’s resolution will keep us motivated and less likely to give up.
2) Have faith: This is so simple, Believe and you will achieve. So simple, yet so true. Faith allows you to see your end results. Faith says that it doesn’t matter what I see or how I look right now, I can do this. My latest post, “You Don’t Need Huge Faith” is about having faith as small as a mustard seed, you can tackle anything.
Note: Remember, faith without works is dead. Yes have faith, but faith is action!
3) Be diligent: Diligence is when we are committed regardless of circumstances around us that will try to keep us from accomplishing our new year’s goals. It’s the diligent hand that will rule.
4) Think and speak optimistically: Old habits are hard to break. If we continue to meditate on all the things that we can’t do and accomplish, before long, we’ll be speaking it out of our mouth and seeing these negative things come to pass. Your tongue can either create for you- life or death to your situation.
Successful people understand this principal. I was reminded of how powerful words and speaking positively are when I recently read a famous speech by our 40th President, Ronald Reagan, in 1987; “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” and He goes on to quote a spray painting he saw by a young Berliner, “This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality.”
Within two years, the Berlin Wall came down. This is not a coincidence my friends. Words have power.
5) Have Patience: Change will not happen overnight. It’s line upon line, here a little, there a little. Anything that is worthwhile and produces lifelong results will take time, therefore let’s be patient. I know how much I’ve had to develop patience during my health journey.
I believe if we apply these principals to our New Year’s resolution or any other goals that we want to accomplish in this new year and going forward, we will not fail!
Happy New Year!
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