This is the time of year when your local lakes and parks are filled with new joggers and power walkers, cigarette sales go down and The Patch sales go up, and people realize how important family is to them.  When a new year begins, most people use this time to evaluate their lives and decide to make a change to improve their quality of life.  There is a good intention behind the New Year’s resolutions of most people but most people rarely see their resolutions become a reality. 

There are many reasons behind failed resolutions.  Most people claim that a lack of discipline, time, and ability is the reason that their resolutions go unmet.  I would like to add a lack of preparation, understanding, and follow through to that list.  Before you set a resolution, you have to be clear on what you are asking yourself to do, what is needed in order for you to do it, and you have to monitor your actions and progress.  

Goal VS Resolution

If you were to ask various people that you come across today what their New Year’s resolutions are, you would undoubtedly get a variety of answers.  I can’t help but to be curious about how other people plan on spending the next 365 days of their life.  When I ask people what their New Year’s resolutions are, they usually tell me what they would like to accomplish but not what they’ve resolved to do.  Essentially, a resolution is the same thing as a goal with a few slight differences. 

A New Year’s resolution is supposed to be a change for the better for an upcoming year and I think goals should be used to guide that change.  The results of that change are what people usually aim for but the focus on what it takes to make that change is usually bypassed.  One of the most popular resolutions people make is to spend more time with their family and loved ones.  Well if that is your resolution, what things about you have to change in order for that to happen?  The things that need to change, are the goals, and the result of those goals, should lead you to your resolution.  For example, if the reason you are not able to spend more time with your family is because of hectic work schedule, then some of your goals should revolve around organizing your schedule better in order for you to have more time with your family.

Another popular resolution for most people is to lose weight and get into shape.  If you have a resolution to lose 25 pounds, then your goals should revolve around how many calories your are taking in and how much exercise your are doing per week.

Question Yourself

One major reason why resolutions go unmet is because the reasons for setting those resolutions are misguided.  Before you set your resolutions, ask yourself why you want that resolution.  The “why” will be a major motivating factor during your journey.   Here are some questions you should ask yourself before setting your resolutions:

-Why is this important to me?

-Am I doing this for myself or because someone else thinks I should?

-What have I done to prepare myself?

-What is my plan B?

-What happens if I fail?

-What happens if I succeed?

-Am I willing to do what is necessary in order to accomplish this?

Your reason for setting your resolution should be a reason that satisfies a need or want in your life.  The more crucial and important it is for your life, the more likely you are to reach it.  Shallow goals and resolutions will evaporate soon after a minor setback because they were not set on a solid foundation.  Most people try to lose weight for the summer.  That’s fine, but what happens when the summer is over?  Making a goal or resolution like that is pointless because you are more likely to gain the weight back in the winter and then make the exact same goal the following year. Instead of making goals and resolutions because you feel you have to, make resolutions that will make a lasting difference in your life and the lives of other people. 

Start in December

In the movie The Godfather, the opening scene shows Marlon Brando’s character granting favors because it is Sicilian tradition that a father cannot refuse a request on the day of his daughter’s wedding.    It would be nice to know that on one special day, you could ask for anything and it would be given to you.  ^{Well some people treat January 1st}like it is that magical day.

 The first day of the year is like every other day of the year.  If you decide to change or add something into your life for the New Year, start early.  One of the best ways to make sure that you don’t accomplish your resolutions is to put them off.   

There are two major advantages to starting your resolutions early.  Working on your resolution before the New Year arrives eliminates the mystique around the first few weeks of the year.  Some people do well in the beginning then tend to lose steam near the end.  If you wake up on the first day of the year thinking that you are a completely different person because the date has changed, you’ll be more likely to be disappointed a few weeks later when you realize that your old ways from the previous year have followed you to the New Year.

The second advantage to starting early is the luxury of having a grace period.  Most sports leagues have a preseason before their regular season begins.  This is so coaches can watch their teams play and make any adjustments before the actual season begins.  If you begin to work on your resolutions in December, you have the opportunity to see if you are discipline, determine, and focused enough to follow through on your resolutions.

Audit Yourself in June

My birthday is in May so I usually use that time to reflect on how my year and life is going so far.  If you’ve made a resolution that is a long-term one, then take some time near the middle of your year and evaluate how close or far you are from realizing that resolution.   If you made a resolution that you estimated should only take 3 months to accomplish, then at the half way point examine your progress and make any adjustments to your plans in order to insure you are successful.

I suggest making a list of the things you have accomplished along the way.  Keeping a record of what has worked and what hasn’t makes your audit much easier.  This is the time to be honest with yourself about your progress.  Look at your accomplishments and decipher why you were successful and apply the same strategy to the weaker parts of your plan.

Resolutions can be set at anytime.  Whatever you want to improve on in your life should not be put off for a certain time of the year.  The principles of success are the same no matter when you set your goals and it is still up to you whether you accomplish them or not.