Hey, Bentley! How have we been doing on our New Year’s Resolutions? It is hard to believe that January is already behind us, and that we have a mere eleven months before we pledge ourselves to a new set of aspirations. If you haven’t thought about your New Year’s Resolutions since January 2nd, don’t worry, you’re in good company.
What percentage of New Year’s Resolutions do you think are kept?
Perhaps 50%? 60%? Surely it cannot be more than 80%, right? Studies show that less than 10% of Resolutions are actually seen through, a frightening discrepancy between our expectation and reality. When do our lofty aims lose sight of the target? At what point does our road to success culminate in a dead end? More importantly, how can we be more accountable?
Before we go into how to keep our Resolutions, we first need to learn how to make them. Goals need to be attainable, have a plan of action, and your progress must be monitored in order for any progress to be made at all. A common New Year’sResolution is to lose weight. If someone was to stick to a moderate gym regimen and consistent diet, they are more likely to see a drop in their weight as opposed to a person who imposes sudden, strict regulations on themselves only to crumble and revert to their old ways as a result. If the goal is to lose fifty pounds in a year, perhaps the person should see if they are down five pounds every month. This kind of specificity holds you responsible for your goal, and reasonable checkpoints help remind yourself of your progress, further motivating you.
Solidifying your Resolution is a difficult yet essential part of being able to keep it. Writing the Resolution down, sticking to it for twenty-one days (making it a habit), and having an image depicting the goal posted in a viewable spot in your house are all great methods to ensure that this year will be self-fulfilling.
Another reason many struggle to keep up with their objectives is because they are unable to muster the discipline to stick to them. This is a completely human experience: I know I am not the only one who requires several alarms to get up in the morning. To counter this problem, you should encourage trusted friends to hold you accountable to your goal throughout the year, who will serve as a persistent but needed reminder to keep you on track.
While a month has come and gone, there is no need to be discouraged. There is still time for you to pick up wherever you left off. Unfulfilled resolutions will likely end up in next year’s to-do list, then the next, and then the next. Taking agency in the promises you make to yourself will not only result in you getting to the version of yourself you want to be faster, but make you a more disciplined, responsible human being.
Works Cited
New Year’s resolutions statistics and trends [2023]. Full-Service Market Research Company. (n.d.).
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