Spring is definitely here! The first whole week of April is definitely Spring according to the calendar. The weather in certain parts of the country may be confused about the date, but it will get the message sooner or later. The fact that it’s Spring, means that we’re into the fourth month of the year. It’s also three months since some driven individuals out there in the world made a “resolution”-the New Year’s tradition where many promise to do something transitionally positive. It turns out that it is almost as traditional to not keep that resolution. It’s been said, that for all good intentions, only a tiny fraction of us keep our resolutions-about 8%. Why is that? Why do we say we’re going to do something, but we don’t? If we make a resolution, we must want to keep it, otherwise why waste the time? Why announce that we’re going to accomplish something only to disappoint not only ourselves but others? What is that? What is it that could make you part of the remaining 92%?
If you’re thinking why you’re not continuing to amble down the road to resolution, you might consider these possible reasons:
Size: Did you take on too large a task? Did you decide that you’re going to lose 50 pounds within the year, or lose it for a certain occasion? Could it be that the occasion was only two months from the New Year’s Day? If you don’t give yourself the proper time frame, what chance could your resolution possibly have in finding success? Did you set a resolution to get a new job, quit smoking, move to a different location? These things could all be possible, but you have to give yourself the time and energy to accomplish them, or you won’t stand a chance.
Alone: Are you trying to make a major change all by yourself? It’s uncomfortable to make a change, and because that’s the case, most people while they have it in their minds to change, it doesn’t often come to fruition the way they imagine…they stay glued to the same old, same old without achieving their goals. They don’t achieve their resolutions. It’s easy to sink into the old “bad” if you don’t have someone else who reminds you what you want to achieve. That person could be an advisor, a coach, or a partner, but it helps to have someone on the sideline reminding you about why and what you want to make happen.
Patience: “The habits that took years to build, do not take a day to change”. We often decide one day we’re going to change things and don’t think about how long it will take to see that change materialize. We only know what we want to see; we often don’t create a plan beforehand. So we start out with high hopes and little direction, and depending on who you may be and your patience level (you may give it a few days, or weeks, or months), and if it isn’t on the path to the change you wanted, you throw in your “changing towel”. Often what you wanted to achieve was just right around the corner. It’s important to give yourself certain achievement levels, so that when you reach them you feel a level of personal excitement. Also, reward yourself when you get to those goals. These things will honor you for moving forward and for getting closer to being a member of that 8% that do keep their resolutions. Yayy!!
Money: It can sometimes be costly to make one’s resolutions come true. It can cost money to join a gym, hire a coach or career placement agency. You need to put out funds to make your dream come true. You can find less expensive ways to complete your goals, or you can “pay it forward”. You can think how the funds that you invest to reach your goals will return to you later once you reach YOUR goal. For instance, if you’re looking to lose weight, then the gym membership cost will save you medical costs in the future. If you hire a coach to find or recreate the career you’ve always wanted and the salary you think you believe you should be earning, then the coaching costs will be returned to you once you get the job you deserve. It’s how you choose to look at things. It’s also how much you desire your resolution.
Belief: You’ve believed enough in yourself to jump out there and make a resolution, it must be something you want. Why announce to those you know that you want to accomplish something if you don’t really want it? Often what gets us down…is ourselves. The things that have been mentioned before: the size of the task, the fact that you don’t have anyone else cheering you on, or after who knows how long you begin to lose patience (it’s easier to get back to your regularly scheduled program), and of course the cost, makes you lose belief in yourself. What enthusiasm you may have had back at the beginning…has waned. It’s so important that you BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. There will be days that seem like a 10, and there will be days that seem like a lot less, that doesn’t mean that you aren’t making progress. It’s important to look back and see where you started and how far you’ve come. You will get there! Keep a diary or a log so that come next Spring you will see what progress you’ve made.
Where are you now? Will you be in the 92% that has NOT kept their resolution? Or will you be in the 8% that HAS kept it? Keep on keepin’ on! It’s never too late!
Have a most excellent day!