Research suggests that between 81% and 92% of New Years Resolutions fail each year.
That is an insane amount of us who flat out fail every year. The University of Scranton research also suggests that only a smidge over 9% of people actually achieve their New Years Resolution.
So why do so many of us fail at solidifying our resolutions, and what can we do about it? Well instead of starting over again or claiming the year for a bust, lets go back to those resolutions you made in January and figure out how to put those resolutions into action. You might be thinking Didn’t I already put my goals into action simply by picking them?
We all make New Years resolutions (ie. statements that we believe will magically come true), and sometimes we just don’t follow through. In February during Midwinter, its a great time to “re-up” those goals and resolutions. I like to call them intentions, by creating an actionable plan for them with easy steps that you can actually start now. So lets get started on sowing those seeds so you can harvest the fruits of your labor later in the Fall.
Before you start
Change your mindset. Delete the word “resolution” from your lexicon. It has become steeped in this unattainable hard road view, and we have no use for that word anymore. Instead, use the word “intention.” You very well may blunder when it comes to your intentions, but that doesn’t matter. You didn’t create that bad habit over night, so you won’t be able to undo it over night either. Just keep track of your journey and remind yourself that it is your intention to change.
“The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.” – Paramahansa Yogananda
1. How should I sow the seeds?
First lets gather those scattered seeds together again and take stock of what is a reasonable and tangible intention for us to set. Discard those resolutions that aren’t healthy or realistic and focus on the ones that help you grow as an individual and ignite your inner flame.
Now review those intentions you are going to keep and start small. Give yourself the awesome gift of checking off the easy things to gain some traction and forward motion.
2. How do I find the motivation if I’ve already failed?
Remind yourself why you want this. Write down your key motivations for your goals and then rank them. What are you planning to do after you achieve this? What will this do for your body, your mind, and your soul? What will you gain / or release from this?
3. How to start actually doing
Again, start small. Make sure that these next steps are actually in you comfort zone. If your intention is to exercise by doing yoga every day, you can start by setting a phone alarm and making a list of studios in your area that you want to check out. Beyond that you can create a list of classes that interest you and then sign up for a class.
Bonus
Track your journey with a bullet journal or with your calendar.
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer
All of these things are easy incremental actionable steps that you can make towards re-upping your New Years Intentions and start the process of sowing those seeds so you can harvest the fruits of your labor later in the year. Remember to switch your mind set from resolution to intention, make it tangible, and break it down into smaller bites that you can start to check off your list right now.
And finally, track your journey that way you can look back and see what worked and what didn’t. This means you get to refine your intentions in a more honed and mindful way in the future instead of fumbling around in the dark trying to remember why you failed. Who wants to try and remember failure any way?
