Why You Fail When You Make New Year's Resolutions

Have you ever made New Year's Resolutions and failed to meet them? It seems like by the middle of February, you are no longer doing what you set out to do on January 1. Why do you think that is? Here are my ideas on why we are often unsuccessful when it comes to resolutions.

You Set Unclear Goals

A lot of times, we will make unclear goals. For example, a lot of people say they want to lose weight. That sounds like a great goal, but it isn't a defined goal. How much weight do you want to lose? What time frame would you like to lose it in? What will you do to lose the weight? 

Without clear expectations, you will burn out fast. You need clear goals that are broken down. 

You Make Resolutions For the Wrong Reason

We make resolutions because we believe we have to. That is the wrong reason to decide to do something. If you are doing it just because you think you have to, you probably won't be successful. When you have the right motivation, you will meet your goals. 

You feel the pressure to make goals because the rest of the world is. It is better to make a resolution to do something when you feel passionate about it. Don't wait until the New Year, get started now. 

You Try To Improve Too Many Things at Once

It seems logical to tackle every area of your life that needs improving while you have some motivation, right? Really, you are just setting yourself up for failure. When you make too many resolutions, you will burn out quickly. 

If you want to make more than one resolution, start with one thing on the list. Master that first, then move to the next thing. 

You Want an Immediate Payoff

We are conditioned to want results immediately. That is what marketing tells us. Get results fast. To have long term results, you must be committed to working hard for a long time. We have high expectations that with a small amount of work, we should see amazing results. 

Ok, so you ate health for two days, and it was hard. Should you see the scales go down one pound? No. You won't see any results from a weight loss program for a few weeks. It will happen so gradually, that you might not notice it without someone point it out. 

The best way to be successful with your goals is to set reasonable goals that you can keep. Be sure you make them with the right motivation. Then be patient as you work toward your goals. 

You can read my other article about Top New Year's Resolutions 2015 and how you can actually keep them.