New Year’s Resolutions: Why they FAIL and tips for success!

At this time of year, as January 1 approaches, people begin to think back on the past year and reflect on their accomplishments, their struggles and major events that took place. They also look forward to the year ahead, making plans, setting goals, speculating on what’s to come and of course making resolutions!

In the past we’ve documented our team’s resolutions for the upcoming year, but this year we’re taking a different approach. Below, you’ll find a few of the most common new year’s resolutions, why they often fail and how to be more successful with any goal you’re thinking about for 2024:

Get in shape – this one takes many forms, lose weight, spend more time outside, use a gym/studio membership, etc. A mistake that plagues many resolutioners is not having a plan. When the clock strikes 12:00 a.m. on January 1 it’s time to start, but how to start or what activities will help you reach your goal haven’t been thought out.

Success Tip: if you’re serious about becoming a healthier version of yourself, start planning and even implementing small changes before January 1. If you love sweets, it’s a lot easier to slowly swap out sugary snacks with healthier options and discover what you like and can stick with long-term than it is to go cold-turkey and try to stop eating junk altogether.

Quit smoking (or a bad habit) – a new year always feels like a great time to say goodbye to a habit you want to leave behind for good. The finality of the calendar year is a clean break, and an easy marker to track your improvements and successes. Habits, however, can be hard to change, simply telling yourself you’re done because it’s a new year isn’t enough to keep people on track. For this reason, quitting a bad habit is regularly a resolution that doesn’t stick.

Success Tip: identify your ‘why?’, your personal reason for wanting to kick your bad habit. When it comes to resolutions, the ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ are usually pretty easy: stop smoking, in 2024, chew Nicorette gum instead. But the ‘why’ is what will keep you on track and give you the motivation to keep going when you really don’t feel like it. Feeling confident in the outfit you want to wear for a special event or having more energy to keep up with your kids or grandkids is a lot more powerful than simply saying “I said it was going to be my resolution.”

Pick up a new hobby (or spend more time on an existing hobby) – this one hits home for me. In past years I’ve said I will dedicate more time to my musical hobbies, playing piano or guitar. Unfortunately, as is the case with many people, life gets in the way and when push comes to shove, I choose other activities and tell myself I’ll come back to the piano or guitar.

Success Tip: find a partner or partners who are interested in the same hobby and become a dynamic duo or hobby group! Taking on a hobby with friends or family members can turn your hobby into a social activity. A partner or group also increases your accountability to stay the course and meet your goals.

Save more, spend less – I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t like to see a higher number when they look at their bank account, but often resolutioners who want to save more and spend less share the same mistake as those looking to get healthy, no plan.

Success Tip: choose one area of your life where you think you can make simple changes to save. If you’re someone who makes spur of the moment additions to your cart when grocery shopping, challenge yourself to stick to your list. A small change that can really add up!

Along with the success tips above, that can be applied to any resolution, here are a couple more easy-to-follow guidelines that can help ensure your victory:

• Be specific – setting an overarching goal for the entire year can be daunting. Setting smaller, realistic milestones can prevent you from being overwhelmed and increase your chances of accomplishing your goal. It also allows you to see how little changes can have a big impact and give you long-term encouragement as you check off your stepping-stone wins and can see your progress.
• Leave room for mistakes – when it comes to resolutions, a lot of people have an ‘all or nothing’ mentality. This may work for a few, but for most people the result of this mindset is not being able to adapt to the curve balls life throws and one mistake derails the entire goal. Mistakes happen to everyone, and they don’t mean you have to quit on your goal altogether.

Whether you’re setting a new year’s resolution or just looking to make a change, set yourself up for success. Choose a change that is meaningful and give yourself the grace to accept setbacks. By doing so, even if you ultimately don’t reach your end goal, chances are you will have tried and learned something new and that’s always a win.

-Paige Sandvold is the Digital Content & Platforms Manager at Directwest.