Why New Years Resolutions don’t work - first published December 2007

How many times have you made a New Years resolution only to give up your resolve a couple of days later?
How many times have you pledged to give up chocolate/smoking/biting your nails/go on a diet/join the gym but never got past January 31st?

Every New Year’s Eve millions of people just like you resolve to make the next year their best year yet. Every year they look back with disappointed that another year has come and gone and they haven’t kept their resolve.

Why is it then, that even though resolutions rarely succeed, we still make them year in year out?
I think the reason most resolutions fall short is because most people lack the understanding of how they work.

Here are some reasons why traditional resolution setting doesn’t work, and what you can do to overcome them.
1. Most resolutions are made at the very last minute of New Years Eve without any consideration which makes them hard to take seriously.

Give yourself enough time to define what you really want for yourself. Who said resolutions had to start on January 1st?
2. You don’t write them down
The physical act of writing will help you to commit and focus on what it is you really want to achieve.
3. You think negative thoughts
When we state that we want to stop smoking or stop eating sweets our unconscious mind filters out the word stop or lose and focuses on the smoking, eating sweets, etc.
When you write down what you want make it something you really want to run towards rather than away from.
4. You don’t set a date
Give yourself a deadline. Again it helps you focus on what you want to achieve. So, instead of saying: I want a new car, you say, I want a new car by May of 2008, or whatever year you are thinking about.
5. You try to run before you can walk
If you were going to climb Mount Everest you would make several smaller climbs first. Like wise, set yourself small achievable steps and reward yourself every step of the way.
6. You don’t take action
Change must come from within. What you believe about who you are will determine your success or failure every time. When you change your mind, you can change your actions and your future.