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Why I HATE New Year's Resolutions

Jan 3

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I HATE New Year's resolutions.



Many of us set them and 80-88% of us fail within the first 2 weeks. I hate these resolutions because we feel forced to make commitments to ourselves but we lack the skills to properly set goals. In essence, we set ourselves up for failure and disappointment. 



I am never against setting a healthy goal for yourself. If you want to stop drinking, join a gym, or leave a toxic job, I support you 100%. However, goal setting is a skill and it isn't easy. 



If we fail at achieving our New Year's resolution(s) it is because we failed to properly plan and gradually build the new habits we want. It's not your fault. If you want to start going to the gym it is not reasonable to start from not going at all to five days a week. That type of turnaround is not sustainable in the long-term, especially if you hate the gym. Instead, eat that elephant one bite at a time. Start by setting your gym clothes out the night before and set a goal of going to the gym once a week to start. If you go more often, great, but no pressure. Mark off your attendance on a calendar to see your progress. Next month, shoot for hitting up the gym twice a week. If you fail to meet your goal one week, no biggie. Get back on the horse the following week and vow to never miss your goal on two consecutive weeks (barring any outstanding circumstances like an illness or injury). These micro goals are how we establish new habits that last. 



Here are two great books that can help you learn how achieve your New Year's resolutions and create the new habits you want. They are real game changers:


 Atomic Habits by James Clear


 Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg



Confession time: I have never been great at flossing my teeth. I knew it was good for me but I always sucked at doing it. My resolution last year was to floss every day. Since January 1, 2024, I haven't missed a day. I set up myself for success and set a reasonable goal to start: I only had to floss one tooth a day. That was my first goal. Once I flossed one tooth, it made sense to do all of the rest. Voila! My dentist now loves me :)



What do you want to accomplish in 2025? 

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