While not everyone sets goals for the New Year, there are plenty of people who do. Whether we desire a more positive mindset, physical changes, or to travel more, these resolutions are nonetheless top priority come January 1st. Setting goals ("resolutions") motivates people to better themselves, but it can often times be difficult to follow through. Breaking resolutions is easier than committing to resolutions, and there may be a couple of reasons why.
1. Your resolutions are not specific enough.
Setting specific goals indicates that you are committed to achieving them. When we are vague about our goals, it shows us how we are uncertain about what we truly desire. How can we better ourselves when we don't even know what we want to change? Certainty demonstrates confidence, and this confidence will ultimately make a difference in our path to making our resolutions reality.
2. You believe that it takes a year to achieve your resolutions.
When we make resolutions for the New Year, it is automatic to put a deadline on our goals. We give ourselves the year, or perhaps less than a year, to either achieve or abandon our resolutions altogether. While New Year's resolutions motivate people to works towards their goals in a timely fashion, remember that some goals may take more than a year to accomplish, and this is perfectly okay!
3. You compare your goals to the reality others are already living.
The beautiful part about setting New Year's resolutions is that you are allowed to be selfish. New Year's resolutions are all about what YOU want to improve! Goals should have more to do with how you can improve yourself, instead of how you compare to others. Instead of setting resolutions meant to one-up or impress your friends, your resolutions should be centered around what steps will make you feel comfortable and fulfilled.
New Year's is a time for change, so perhaps your first one will be to fulfill more resolutions than you break!