About New Year Resolutions...

It is that time of the year once again. As we reach the end of another year, many consider the change of the year as a new fresh start. Some prepare their goals, those goals are usually made for improving their lives.. 

Known as New Year Resolutions, these are commitments or goals that individuals often set at the beginning or shortly before the of a new year. While it is still a good for one to consider setting these 'resolutions' for the betterment of his/her well-being by noting down their aspirations to commit to in the near future, most people will not succeed. As statistics of the recent years in the west indicate, about 80-92% of adults who set New Year Resolutions will give them up by February. (1)

So, how to actually make your resolutions come true?

First of all, I would like to point out that everytime you, let's say, think of something you are capable of doing to improve your life, you do not have to wait until the beginning of another year to work on it; you do not need a certain time of a year as an excuse to do so generally. If you see this post in 2025, I encourage you to read the rest of this if you have something in mind that will help you improve.

It All Begins With True Intention...

So, before you set your resolutions/goals, you need the intention; to be determined and aware of the implications of what you will set yourself to do. Since it really it does not matter how many articles, journals or videos about how to set goals you read will benefit in the long-run if you would only wrote them down on a paper and not 'will' yourself achieve them later, especially when other inevitable life pressures arise and interfere with your progress later on.

PART ONE: Common Themes & Pitfalls:

1-What are the common themes of New Year Resolutions?

Your resolution may include the following themes:

▪︎Physical and Mental Health: The focus on physical fitness, mental health, and overall well-being.

▪︎Financial Goals: Aiming to save money, reduce debt, or invest wisely.

▪︎Relationships: Improving connections with family and friends.

▪︎Professional Development: Whih include advancing in a career or acquiring new skills.

2-Why do many individuals fail to sustain their New Year Resolutions?

New Year resolutions often fail for various reasons. Here are some common mistakes that can make them unsuccessful:

▪︎'Vague'/'Unclear' Goals: Resolutions like "Get fit" or "Save more money" lack clear definitions, making it hard to measure.

▪︎Unrealistic expectations and Overambitious Goals: People may aim too high, setting goals that are difficult to achieve within a year.

▪︎No Actionable Plan: Many resolutions are made without a practical plan for how to achieve them.

▪︎No Monitoring of Progress: People often forget to check their progress, leading to disconnection from their goals.

▪︎Loss of Motivation: The excitement of a new year can fade quickly, leading to decreased commitment.

▪︎Unexpected Events: Life challenges (like job changes or personal issues) can derail their plans.

▪︎Negative Mindset: A lack of confidence or fear of failure can prevent people from fully committing to their resolutions.

▪︎All-or-Nothing Thinking: Viewing progress as binary(to be either complete success or failure) can lead to discouragement.

By viewing these common issues and other individuals' experiences, you can increase their chances of successfully achieving your resolutions. Mainly by setting realistic, specific goals and maintaining discipline which will be the key components of success.

PART TWO: Goal Setting & Maintenance:

1-Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals:

The SMART goal model was first proposed for business objectives. It is also proven to be useful for setting goals related to other purposes, including self-improvement.

Original Model:

(S)pecific-target a specific area for im- provement.

(M)easurable-quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress. 

(A)ssignable-specify who will do it. (R)ealistic-state what results can realisti- cally be achieved, given available re-

sources.

(T)ime-related-specify when the result(s) can be achieved. (2)

Here's how it can be used:

▪︎Make the Goal Specific: Don't set vague goals; outline what needs to be accomplished to get it done.

▪︎Make it Measurable: Allow the progress of the goals be identifiable and possible to track.

▪︎Make it Achievable: You need to make you resolutions workable, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve if they are far from reality.

▪︎Make it Relevant: Ensure that the goals matters and aligns with other objectives.

▪︎Make it Time-Bound: Set a deadline for your goals. In case of a New Year Resolution, that is a year.

Example:

Say, you want to "Exercise more". Ask yourself: 

-What needs to be accomplished in order to be more fit?(Specify)

-How would you know you progressed or did reach your fitness goal?(Measurable)

-Is it possible to add some exercises to my schedule?(Achievable)

-Is it worthwhile to you?(Relevant)

-How long will you work on this?(Time-bound)

For instance, my current, main ftness goal is to stay fit and gain muscle. I specified before that I will exercise daily. In order to accomplish this, I made a weekly schedule with two specific workouts to do throughout the week during the morning. I can measure my progress by a check-list I update every month to see how many days I did workout. It is possible for me do the exercise on my schedule since they are on my level; not too hard but not easy either. I plan to follow the schedule for another three months.

(An example of a specified plan)

Additionally, you can search on-line for a printable SMART Goals sheet to aid you with setting your goals.

(From: https://www.typecalendar.com/smart-goals.html)

2-Maintaining Goals:

▪︎At times, you may need to reflect on your plans and make necessary adjustments. Make sure to check-in and review your progress. From time to time, you may realise you can do better or realise that your goal was far-fetched and needs to be re-arranged.(e.g. Going over your plans monthly can help with maintaining long-term).

▪︎Sometimes, some unexpected disruptions can occur and affect your planned goals. During those times, you will need to be flexible. You might need to cancel some plans and get them done later when possible.(e.g. You can not exercise in the morning during some days so you move them for another time in evening in when you will be free).

▪︎Find away to be accountable.(e.g. Make a check-list or join a community that shares the same goal).

▪︎Set reminders.(e.g. add what you need to do on a calendar or phone alarms).

3-Extra Tips:

▪︎You may write down your ultimate goal somewhere where you can see everyday. Like near where you wake-up or your desk/worktable.

▪︎You don't necessarily need expensive items/equipment for many self-improvement oriented goals, but you may consider buying what can help you or motivate towards them. It can be simple as buying a notebook to track your progress or a thermos flask to help you drink more water.

▪︎Limit distractions. Consider the 'resolution(s)' as a promise for your future self, once you set them, remind yourself why you wanted to commit to this.

For now, you may take a bit of time to reflect back on this year and see what part of life you can improve for yourself.

QUESTION:

Is there something you really appreciated and would like to keep doing, or/and is there something you would like to change for the next year? -

__________________________

(1) For more exact stats on that specifically, check: https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/new-years-resolutions-statistics/

https://www.statista.com/chart/26577/us-new-years-resolutions-gcs/

https://insideoutmastery.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

(2) George T. Doran (1981) "There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives" - Journal of Management Review.