Did 2020 let you down? As we look forward to a new year full of hope and anticipation, it’s hard not to look back on all that has happened. For some it may be considering the “COVID-15”(lbs) they’ve added with all of the glorious combinations of comfort food and Netflix during lockdown. For others , perhaps asking themselves if they really “needed” to splurge on that bread making machine during a 3 am amazon shopping spree. Slowly, as January 1st approaches, our regret turns to aspirations of weight loss, budgeting, and healthier living. Perhaps, after hitting the massive 2020 wall of obstacles, resolutions have never been more important. But then again, do they work? Are they even worth it?
In a study conducted by RBC (Royal Bank of Canada), only 3 in 10 Canadians will make a New Year’s Resolution. Of those, 73 percent will fail to achieve them. There are also pretty disappointing statistics on how long Canadians actually keep resolutions. 19 percent will give up within just one day! 15 percent will loose traction in a week, and a whopping 52 percent will give up in a month. Only 19 percent of Canadians stay committed to New Year’s Resolutions for the whole year. Is there a way we can be part of the small percent who succeed?
According to an article from the New York Times “Make a Resolution,” people fail to make New Year’s resolutions because they are often motivated by other people’s opinions. This information begs us to be true to ourselves. Perhaps we would be more successful if we first evaluated why we want to make a change, and which of our personal values would be satisfied if we did. The stimulation of other’s opinions is present intermittently. We have to live with ourselves indefinitely. No wonder our internal motivations are stronger and more likely to create ongoing change.
American businessman, motivational speaker, and philanthropist Tony Robbins challenges you to say “no” to new year’s resolutions. In an article posted on the Tony Robbins website “Say No to New Year’s Resolutions,” it is stated that 80 percent of resolutions fail by February. Many people are looking for a quick-fix instead of changing their overall lifestyle. Perhaps the more effective way to make a lasting change is to set goals? Goals can be set any time, even before the New Year starts. By setting goals, you can anticipate difficulties and make a plan to overcome them. Success can also be met by setting measurements to visualize the goal becoming a reality.
Most successful people don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. Avoiding resolutions, can allow for the freedom to enjoy the progress of your efforts no matter the outcome. Many people think that resolutions have time constraints, and must be completed in a certain time period to impress other people, another example of external motivation. Perhaps we should be asking who we are trying to impress and why? Is it someone we want to be like? If not, perhaps we need to re-direct our attention and emotion.
Are you are looking for a stronger leaner body - so that you can have more energy to play with your kids/grandchildren, enjoy physical hobbies, or move more easily throughout your day? Maybe financial stress has got you down and you’d like to build a budget for the coming year. Financial freedom could allow you to sleep better, buy smarter, and support others you care about. The statistics tell us we can feel free to leave our resolutions behind and move forward with our goals in hand.
Becoming more self aware and using our inner motivations to propel our goals in 2021 may be exactly what we need to succeed this year. Planning and understanding that we are in a process will help us overcome obstacles. Becoming better versions of ourselves will allow us to impact those around us in a way that is more effective, pleasing and satisfying to us.
No matter what our goals are, let us realize why they are important to us and begin to work towards them aiming toward resilience. Let us join each other on the journey, recognizing this life isn’t a sprint and we still have time. After all, isn’t January just the beginning?
PUSH hard. PUSH fast. PUSH for Life.
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