Don’t Make New Year Resolutions

Resolutions are for people who believe they have one shot to turn their life around, once a year

By now you should know that New Year resolutions sometimes don’t work. Do you remember last January and your resolutions? You probably started with great determination to make it work but got distracted or lacked the motivation to sustain the commitment. There is a delusion about the new year, a belief that it can work magic and change everything wrong around and within us because it’s a fresh start. There is always great motivation, a sense of freshness in the new year to do something new and different. That’s why most people have New Year resolutions, or should I say wishes. The new year does not change anything; it is people who make the year what it should or could be. As R. Joseph Hoffmann observed, “The attraction of New Year is this: the year changes and in that change we believe that we can change with it. It is far more difficult however to change yourself than turn the calendar to a new page.” 

 

Statistics have shown that many people will fall off their New Year resolution wagon by end of January. A resolution is meant to be a strong decision backed with a strong WHY, not easily broken, but often times the resolution is made emotionally without the required commitment. The resolution should result in goals, the statements of your resolution. John Maxwell, in his book, Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn, wrote, “Improvement demands a commitment to growing long after the mood in which it was made has passed.” After the emotion and feeling of the new year and new beginning passes, reality sets in and your resolutions do not have anything strong to hold on to. It takes more to finish than to start!

 

That’s why I stopped having New Year resolutions but daily resolutions, goals linked to my purpose. We underestimate the motivation, determination, commitment require to do what we don’t want to do. You don’t need resolution to do what has become a habit, second nature. Whatever you want to change that requires a new resolution will require more than words. It will require daily commitment, determination, undivided focus and actions to see it through. Focus is King. Action is queen. You need both in your palace this year. Don’t forget you will not have time to do these new things you hoped for the new year. You will need to create it. That will be first struggle. Commit to a daily resolution, little shifts over the 366 days in 2016. Do you know that if you improve yourself 1% daily, you will be 365% better at the end of the year? Make this year your best year yet. Surprise yourself.

 

Tagged: Daily Resolution, goals, Improvement, New Year, New Year Resolution, Purpose, Resolutions