How Are You Doing With Your Resolutions? Avoid These 10 Challenges To Make 2019 A Great Year!

I truly believe that, with each passing year, most people want to live a life that matters and reach their maximum potential. At least, this may be the intent for the 45% of people who develop resolutions at the beginning of each year. Yet, sometimes there is just too much to do, and too little time to do it. Consequently, the important things in their lives fall through the cracks. Many people are capable of so much more but end up feeling like time is running out, and ultimately give up on their resolutions. Optimistically, I also believe that most people do not want to just survive, but want to make meaningful progress toward things that matter.

We are in the seventh week of the year, and 25% of the people who established resolutions on January 1st have already abandoned their resolutions. Fewer than 50% will still be sticking to their resolutions by this summer, and research shows us that only 8% will successfully accomplish their goals. The most frequent resolutions are related to weight loss, improving finances, exercising, getting a new job, cutting back on smoking, and improving a relationship. Do not think about the numbers, but think about the individuals. Why are so few people unsuccessful at attaining their resolutions?

Here are 10 challenges that can lead to not meeting your 2019 resolutions –

Challenge #1: You do not complete the past.

Recommendation: Each year, use the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year as a reflection and contemplation period to determine what you are grateful for, as well as deal with the disappointments, regrets, and losses of the past year. Once you’ve done so, leave last year where it fell. Doing so, allows you to reflect on major lessons to prevent repeating them and sabotaging success in the new year.

Challenge #2: You do not find your “Why”.

Recommendation: Connect with your resolutions intellectually and emotionally by determining your life’s purpose. In doing so, you must keep your motivations present to your thinking, so they energize you to finish when you are tempted to quit.

Challenge #3: You do not identify your limiting beliefs.

Recommendation: Identify your limiting beliefs that constrain you in some way – the way you think, the things you do, or the things you say that inhibit your life and present obstacles to progress, then find clarity. Believe in what is possible. You will not get more of what you want until you are thankful for what you have.

Challenge #4: You have too many resolutions.

Recommendation: Narrow your resolutions down to a number that leads to success. Sometimes, in life, we need to take an appetite suppressant. By breaking your resolutions down categorically, for example – who do you want to be (physically, intellectually, and/or spiritually); what do you want in your relationships (marital, parental, and/or social); and what do you want to do (vocationally, avocationally, and/or financially), you will achieve your resolutions and what matters in your life.

Challenge #5: You do not write down your resolutions.

Recommendation: Write down your resolutions and review them frequently. This increases the likelihood of you successfully attaining each resolution by 42%. Displaying or sharing your resolutions, selectively, will increase accountability and support that will lead to your success.

Challenge #6: Your resolutions are not specific.

Recommendation: Tweak your resolutions to ensure they are specific. Do you want to lose weight, a percentage of body fat, or both?

Challenge #7: Your resolutions are not measurable.

Recommendation: Tweak your resolutions to ensure they are measurable. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. Do not simply resolute to lose weight, but specify that you want to lose 20 pounds, or reduce body fat to 15% percentage of total mass.

Challenge #8: Your resolutions are not time bound.

Recommendation: Establish milestones and/or deadlines. This increases your sense of urgency and helps you prioritize daily tasks in a way that enables success. To build upon a resolution to lose 20 pounds, you can add that you want to accomplish this by a date (e.g. Memorial Day). For those of you who have this resolution, that’s only 20 weeks away and all you have to do is lose one pound per week.

Challenge #9: Your resolutions are not compelling.

Recommendation: Evaluate each resolution to determine if they excite you. If not, drop them. Resolutions that are not physically challenging, emotionally energizing, intellectually stimulating, and/or spiritually meaningful will not survive by the end of 2016.

Challenge #10: Your resolutions are not visible.

Recommendation: Decide where you will display your resolutions. There’s much truth to the old adage “out of sight, out of mind”. Print your resolutions and display them where you will see them at home, at work, on your mobile devices, and/or as a screensaver on your computer.

Look, most of us have failed at resolutions in the past. I encourage you to stay the course. If you have any of these challenges, take action and apply any necessary corrections now!

Question: What will it take for you to land in the 8% of successful January 1 goal setters in 2019?