WHY DO NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FAIL?

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!” Joey Adams, American Comedian.??

80% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by February. This is according to research made by Forbes, FranklinCovey, and some other sources.

How to avoid becoming part of this statistic? Shall we announce the ritual of making resolutions before midnight on December 31st as unnecessary or change how we make our resolutions? To me, it is the latter.

I asked many people around me about the resolutions they ditched soon after the new year. One common thing for a very diverse group of people was that their resolutions needed to be more specific.

So, the first reason resolutions fail is that they are not specific enough. Generic resolutions such as “I will lose weight," "I'll improve my relations," and “I will land my dream job” will always remain something you wish to have. Make your resolutions SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. “I am going to land the job of [specific job title] with [company name] by the end of June. In this job, I will [what you are interested in doing] and earn [the salary you want].” It will also help explain to yourself why you want this job.

The second reason your resolutions do not work is that you start to procrastinate. “The year has just started. I will take action next month, next quarter, after spring break, after summer"… And after summer, it's already time to think about next year's resolution!

Procrastination is natural and unavoidable when there is no first step planned. The first step is always the hardest, but as soon as you start moving, it just keeps getting easier. This is because a chemical reaction occurs in your brain when you take action. When you take that all-important first step, the perfect combination of dopamine and norepinephrine is released to create a powerful feeling of motivation. Getting started creates a domino effect, making you increasingly motivated to keep going.

So, if your resolution is to land a new job, your first step will probably be updating your resume. Your second step will be ensuring your social media is in good shape. Your third step will be making a list of employers you want to work for and doing your research… And so on.

And the third reason is poor planning and structure - “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." For a resolution to succeed, you need to plan in your calendar when exactly you will start taking action and allocate enough time on a regular basis. E.g., book one hour per week for your job search, every Friday morning to apply for the jobs you are interested in.

And one more piece of advice from the Forbes article I recently read is to establish a Don’t-Do List! “Identify every time-wasting and low-value activity task and commit to avoiding them for the next 12 months”, says Forbes contributor Lisa Bodell. There is, indeed, enormous value in Don’t-Do List. It’s a mindful way to let go of unproductive tasks and make space for the steps you need to take.?

You'll give yourself the best chance to be successful if you make your new year's resolution doable and meaningful!