5 Ways to Rethink New Year’s Resolutions

Do you feel like the person who defined “resolution” as, “a list of stuff to do ONLY in the first week of January?”You’re not alone.  Roughly 40% of Americans attempt a New Year’s resolution, but 88% of resolutions end up unfulfilled.  Let’s be honest.  Resolutions rarely work, but we’re still drawn to them and desire change.  It’s time we stop the same old approach and rethink what resolutions are and how we can experience the change we desire.The desire to change isn’t our problem with resolutions, it’s our mindset to change that we need to rethink.Your best is yet to be and failed New Year’s resolutions no longer need to stifle you.  Here are 5 ways to rethink your approach to making resolutions:

1. Leverage energy over making wishes

Most people have a habit of reviewing the previous year before entering a new season.  This evaluation is a critical component of the process of growth.  Evaluation produces perspective and perspective generates the inspiration needed to bring about change.  That’s why almost half of Americans get inspired to make a “resolution.”The problem is that many of us leave the energy and inspiration from our perspective in the form of a wish.  Antoine De Saint-Exupery captures this challenge when he says, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”Goals are great but they don’t produce any change without a realistic plan to go with it.  These 5 ways to rethink New Year’s resolutions are designed to help you move the wish in your heart to the reality of your life.  If you’re reading this, you likely have the desire to change.  Don’t waste that energy.  Focus it into a realistic plan for growth that will bring about your best life.

2. Get small and specific on what you want to accomplish

It would be safe to say that most of the 88% of New Year’s resolutions probably don’t get accomplished because they were unrealistic or too vague in the first place.  Psychologists suggest that if you want to develop a change in your life you need to start with small steps in the direction you hope to see growth.Eating healthier is a great aspiration but it’s not specific enough to be able to tell if you’re making any progress.  If you want growth in a particular area, then spend some time thinking about the details of what that life would look like.  List all the things that come to mind.  It probably will be overwhelming at first, but your resolution isn’t about the whole list. Pick one thing you can do and throw the rest of the list away.A small and specific goal can go a long way in generating momentum for growth.

3. Measure in the right direction

Measure twice and cut once.  You’ve probably heard this old adage before, but what if sometimes we measure in the wrong direction?  Measuring is essential to being able to tell if progress is happening.  The progress can be exciting but if we measure the wrong thing, what was supposed to be encouraging can quickly become depressing.When it comes to New Year’s resolutions it can be tempting to want to measure the outcome, but what if we rethink the way we measure goals.  Outcomes have so many variables that they often take longer to see results and leave us disappointed.  What if instead of measuring outcomes we focused on the input we put in to achieve those results?Ignore the outcome and focus on the input.  If the outcome you hope to see is to lose weight, don’t measure how much weight you’ve lost for a season.  Instead, measure how many vegetables you eat and how much time you spend working out.Measuring the right information will help you feel in control and like you’re playing a winnable game.  Everyone wants to feel like they’re playing a winnable game. Want some help getting a jump start on measuring the right things?  Michael Hyatt has a great framework for goals he calls the SMARTER method.  CLICK HERE to check it out.

4. Drop the should

Should happens.  No, we’re not talking about the smelly stuff we can step in walking our dogs.  A “should” experience is when a person feels unhelpful expectation to live in a certain way.  It can be a close friend or family who creates pressure to live up to an unrealistic or unhealthy standard.  It could even come from yourself.  Some of the most unhelpful piles of “should” can come from an overwhelming internal critic that heaps all sorts of expectations or judgment on yourself.The problem with should is that it may generate short term activity, but it never produces long term transformation.Many of us participate in New Year’s resolutions because that’s what we feel we should do. Ask yourself, “what about this resolution do I feel like I should do and what represents who I want to be?” The only way for lasting transformation to take root is if there is a deep intrinsic desire to change little behaviors over time.  For this to become a reality, we need to avoid stepping in big piles of should and lean into being the person we have in our hearts to become.Need help working through the should that happens in life?  CLICK HERE to check out this sermon series titled “Should Happens” at Parkview Christian Churches

5. Focus on progress over perfection

You will fail.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your resolution will not go the way you planned.  You know what?  That’s okay.  Spend your attention celebrating the progress you made instead of bemoaning the setbacks you have.  Guy Raz says, “Failing is scary.  Wasting your life is dangerous.” We often let the fear of failure or even the closest whiff of failure snuff out our greatest dreams.  You have an incredible story your life is longing to tell.  It’s time to free yourself for the best that is yet to be.  The best way to do that is to focus on consistent progress over a long time instead of short-term behavior modification.  It’s easy to overestimate what you can do in one year and underestimate what you can accomplish in 5 years with consistency.  Psychologists back this up that consistent progress in a meaningful direction fosters deep satisfaction.You have so much to offer this world!  If there is any way any of our team can champion you in living your best life yet, we want to be of service to you.  Many times, we all have unresolved feelings from our past that sneak into our present and keep us from the life we desire.  We’re here to help you explore whatever may be keeping you from thriving.We want to hear from you.  CLICK HERE to let us know on Facebook which way to rethink New Year’s resolutions that most resonates with you.HAPPY NEW YEARS!- The Team at Platt Professional Counseling