New Year's Resolution

Why Is It So Hard To Fulfill New Year Resolutions? 8 Reasons Why

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Many people, like me, start the New Year full of hope with New Year’s resolutions. But by the time the end of January has come long, I have already forgotten those New Year’s Resolutions.

There are many reasons why we may not accomplish our new year resolutions -everything from not setting the right goals to not being motivated or committed to the plans. To ensure you fulfill your New Year’s resolutions, you must keep your resolutions upfront and centered and look at what you need to do each day to accomplish your goals.

Table of Contents

Here are our top 8 Reasons Why Fulfilling Your New Years Resolutions Can Be So Difficult:

Setting The Wrong New Year Resolutions

One of the main reasons many people do not live up to their New Year resolutions may be that they are setting the wrong New Year resolutions. Here are some of the wrong New Year resolutions:

  • Setting resolutions others want you to select.
  • Setting resolutions that are not reasonable or possible.
  • Setting resolutions that require little or no effort.
  • Setting resolutions that are impossible to attain.
  • Setting resolutions without much real thought of what you are doing.
  • Thinking you can do it alone and not looking for support to help you on your journey.
  • Not being honest with yourself about your goals.

New Year Resolutions Are Not SMART Goals

One of the major problems many people have is that they do not set New Year’s resolutions that are considered SMART Goals. SMART goals are defined as:

  • S – Specific – Your goals should be specific.
  • M – Measurable – Your goals need to be measurable
  • A – Attainable – Your goals need to be attainable.
  • R – Relevant – Your goals should be relevant.
  • T – Timebound – Your goals should be timebound.

By following the SMART way, you can achieve your goals. SMART goals are a way to ensure the goals are successful.

Not Dividing Down The Goals To Specific Tasks

One of the most important things you can do to help you succeed with your goals is to divide the goals into steps you want to accomplish. For example, you can take your New Year’s resolution and then break it down as follows:

  • 6-Month Goals – What you need to achieve in the next six months to accomplish your goal.
  • 3-Month Goals – What you need to accomplish in the next three months to accomplish your goal.
  • 1 Month Goals – What you need to accomplish in the next month to accomplish your goal.
  • 1 Week Goals – What you need to do for the week to accomplish your goal.
  • Daily Goals – What you need to do today to accomplish your goal.

Breaking down the New Year’s resolution into smaller goals helps you know what you need to do for the next year, six months, three months, one month, and a week, and also what you need to do for your daily goal. Doing this helps you know what to start on to accomplish your goals.

People Do Not Achieve Resolution As They Do Not Keep Track of Goals Overtime

One of the essential things with goals is to keep track of your goals over time. You need a system to review your goals at least weekly to see if you are on the way with your progress and make any necessary adjustments.

We use a program called Trello to help us keep track of our goals. Trello allows us to make boards; we like to have the visual aspects of the goals along with moving the goals from section to section. Having a system helps us to keep track of all our goals.

The program that you use is not as important as having a way to keep track of the goals. Whatever system you use should have the following:

  • Be Easy To Use – Whatever program or method you choose should be easy. If it is too complicated, you probably will not stick with it.
  • Be Quick To Review – You will need to have a system that helps make it easy for you to review your goals frequently. Reviewing your goals will help you accomplish your goals.

Not Willing To Adjust New Year Goals As Needed

Sometimes you need to have to adjust your goal. Maybe the original New Year resolution you set was too easy, or perhaps it was too hard.

As you take the journey to reach your New Year resolution, be willing to adjust the goals as needed or set new goals along the way. Being willing to do this will ensure that you are always moving forward and not backward.

Lack Of Commitment To New Year Goals

Sometimes we do not accomplish our goals due to a lack of commitment. Maybe you set a goal and are motivated for only a day but then forget about it.

That is why when you set your goals, you need to make sure you are committed to them and that they are something you want to accomplish. If, for example, one of your New Year resolutions is to learn to sail, but you do not like water very much, you will probably find you do not have a lot of motivation to learn to sail.

Interest and commitment are vital for accomplishing your New Year’s resolutions.

Lack of Motivation And Focus For New Year Resolutions

With your commitment may also be a lack of motivation. Many start motivated to change but then lose the motivation and focus on accomplishing their goals.

Here are some ways to get some motivation and focus in your life:

  • Keep focused on your goals. Keep them front and center in your life.
  • Get a mentor or group to help you achieve your goals.
  • Surround yourself with motivated and positive people.
  • Set a schedule in your life so that you can accomplish your goals.

Not Realizing It Is About The Journey And Not The Destination of The Goal

Many people forget that so much of achieving goals is about the journey of those goals. As we go on the journey, our goals should change and improve our life for good.

A change takes place as we change, and as we change, the purpose of the goals becomes a journey of transformation. So even if you only get to your destination, you are at least partway there and much further than you would have been if you had not set a goal.

If you can remain focused on your New Year’s resolutions, seek help when you need it, and do something about your goals daily, you will have a much better chance to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions and change your life.

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