It’s that time again when our society tells us that we have to make New Year’s resolutions. This year, I find myself questioning this age-old practice. I have had the same two resolutions for several years and have made no more progress in all those years than I did in the first year that I set these goals.
Why do so many resolutions fail? Why do so many people forget their resolutions within the first couple of weeks after making them? Some fault the process as there is only one time a year we make resolutions and it is right after the busy holiday season.
Maybe resolutions are too focused on problems or something that is wrong with us versus thinking about what motivates and inspires us.
It’s helpful to think about something in our life that we can improve, rather than making a big resolution around it.
Some examples could be focusing on health and nourishing ourselves mindfully versus “losing weight.” Improving money habits versus “making a budget.” How about picking a friend or family member that you would like to see once a month or every two months versus “spend more time with friends and family?” Do you see the difference?
Another thing to consider is the timing of making changes. Some do not like starting the year off this way. Some people like to make changes in the Spring or during Lent when it is warmer and lighter out. Some like to start the fall out by setting goals around changing things in their lives. Many people see fall as the start of the new year because it’s also the start of the school year.
We aren’t stuck with any one way of doing things and we always can feel free to create our own routines or traditions.
Some additional ideas are:
I hope these ideas are useful and revolutionize the way that you make changes in your life.
Happy New Year!
Why do so many resolutions fail? Why do so many people forget their resolutions within the first couple of weeks after making them? Some fault the process as there is only one time a year we make resolutions and it is right after the busy holiday season.
Maybe resolutions are too focused on problems or something that is wrong with us versus thinking about what motivates and inspires us.
It’s helpful to think about something in our life that we can improve, rather than making a big resolution around it.
Some examples could be focusing on health and nourishing ourselves mindfully versus “losing weight.” Improving money habits versus “making a budget.” How about picking a friend or family member that you would like to see once a month or every two months versus “spend more time with friends and family?” Do you see the difference?
Another thing to consider is the timing of making changes. Some do not like starting the year off this way. Some people like to make changes in the Spring or during Lent when it is warmer and lighter out. Some like to start the fall out by setting goals around changing things in their lives. Many people see fall as the start of the new year because it’s also the start of the school year.
We aren’t stuck with any one way of doing things and we always can feel free to create our own routines or traditions.
Some additional ideas are:
- Write in a journal every day.
- Pick an idea or theme for the year.
- Identify goals or improvements that you want to make in your life.
- Find an accountability partner or share with a friend (notice I said ‘share’ vs. ‘report to!’)
I hope these ideas are useful and revolutionize the way that you make changes in your life.
Happy New Year!
Kay Gimmestad, LCSW-C is a business coach and clinician in New York City with 20 years of experience working in the profit and not for profit sectors of Human Resources, Health and Human Services. She has built a reputation for being highly skilled in facilitating behavior change while working with employees, both individually and in groups, on matters relating to performance management, substance abuse, crisis intervention, and stress/wellness.
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