Why New Year's Resolutions Should be a Thing of the Past

It's that time of the year again. The time when we all make resolutions to improve ourselves in the upcoming year. We all have our own set of resolutions, some are more achievable than others, but we never think about how they will affect us long term.

We all know that New Year’s resolutions aren't the best way to start off a new year. But why? Well, they are too rigid, too focused on self-improvement, and don’t account for life changes that happen throughout the year.

We should stop focusing on New Year’s resolutions and focus more on our everyday choices. This is because we have to make healthy decisions every day if we want to be successful in the long run.

The Problem With New Year's Resolutions

Resolutions are a way of setting goals for the year ahead. They represent a new start, a fresh start, and a time to reflect on what we want to change.

But resolutions are also often too vague and can be difficult to measure. They’re also not something that most people stick with for very long.

The problem is that resolutions can often feel like they’re too much of an external goal rather than an internal one. For example, if your resolution was to lose weight, you might feel like you have to work at it all the time, even when you don’t really want to or when it’s not practical.

Why Do We Keep Resolving to Lose Weight and Fail?

Every year, people make resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, drink less alcohol, and so on. But why do we keep resolving to lose weight and fail?

People aren’t making resolutions to lose weight because they want to lose weight. They are making resolutions to change the self-destructive habits that they have developed. But, by setting a goal of losing weight, you’re not going to address the underlying issues you may have.

Set Smaller Goals That Are More Realistic

The idea is to make smaller, more realistic goals that are achievable and not too intimidating.

It’s not always easy to set goals for the New Year. Some people set goals that are too lofty or unrealistic and end up feeling like they failed after a few weeks. This is about making small, realistic goals that you can actually accomplish with some effort and dedication. And it’s also about making them throughout the year, not just in January. 

Stop Setting Unrealistic Expectations for Yourself

The goal is to stop setting unrealistic expectations for yourself. It's important to set goals, but it's also important to set realistic expectations for yourself. You may feel disheartened if you don’t achieve your goals immediately, but it’s important to know that any progress is good. 

This is an issue that people are still struggling with. Setting realistic expectations for yourself is an ongoing process. Sometimes, life gets in the way, but you need to be kind to yourself when things aren’t going as well as you want them to.

It's Unhealthy to Force Yourself to Make Changes when the Energy and Desire Aren't There

It's not always the best idea to force yourself to make changes when you aren’t motivated enough. It won't be a sustainable change if you're not motivated and there’s no way of knowing if you’re going to be motivated as the clocks strike midnight on the last day of December.

Many people who are on the path of personal growth and development get stuck in a loop. They make a few changes and then feel like they need to make more changes, but they don’t have the energy or desire. This is often because they are forcing themselves to do something that’s not aligned with their true desires. It can be helpful for people to take a step back and reconnect with what it is that really drives them.

If you're feeling stuck and want to start over, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate what is going on in your life that’s making this change necessary.

Be Honest With Yourself About Your Situation in Life and Don't Be Afraid To Admit You Need Help

This is about being honest with yourself about your situation in life and not being afraid to admit that you need help. There are many problems that we can’t solve on our own, but there are also many problems that we can solve on our own if we just have the right tools.

The first step for this resolution is to acknowledge what the problem is. You should sit down and think about the problem, why it's a problem, and how it's affecting your life. Once you have acknowledged what the problem is, then you can start to search for a solution. The best way to find a solution is by asking other people who have had similar problems or by looking online for resources.

So, What’s The Plan?

New Year’s resolutions are oftentimes doomed for failure. We tend to set unrealistic goals for ourselves, and we're more likely to fall off the bandwagon. We should focus on our everyday choices because they are more likely to succeed. This is because we need to make healthy decisions every day if we want to be successful long term.

We don’t have time to focus on big changes and getting them right all at once. Instead, we need to focus on small, simple actions that are achievable every day.

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Hana Ames is a cat mama, feminist, enjoys cooking, playing board games and drinking cocktails. She has been writing professionally for since 2018 and has a degree in English literature. Her website is www.hrawriting.com and she is always interested in discussing new projects. Catch her on Twitter @hrawriting and Facebook: www.facebook.com/hrawriting