Ever wondered why new year resolutions fail? See, every beginning of the year, you won’t miss at least one person using the phrase New Year New Me. People always like using this phrase whenever we approach a fresh year. There is always the pressure of being better than last year. So that’s why we sit down and come up with new year’s resolutions. For a majority of people, it’s usually a new year same resolution. Every year, they fail at honoring resolutions and goals that they set for themselves. So why is this so?

Keep on reading and find out why people fail at keeping new year’s resolutions and how you can succeed this year.

Why new year is a bad time to make a resolution

The new year for most people usually symbolizes a new chapter of life. Now, much as there is nothing wrong with wanting a better year before the last, only 20% succeed in achieving their ambitious new year goals. They give up on them before the first day of the year ends.

One thing I have realized is that there is usually so much pressure at that time of the year. Do you know why new year is a bad time to make a resolution?

Well, it’s because the holidays can be a very depressing time. You go home for the holidays. You meet friends and relatives whose lives seem better than yours and then you start putting pressure on yourself on new year’s eve to be better. Now that there in itself is one of the main reasons why new year resolutions fail. We start comparing ourselves to other people. Basically, you are not making resolutions for yourself. You are making resolutions based on how other people’s lives are. Based on what you think other people want your life to be.

One thing I know for sure is that one can choose to be better any time of the year. This thing of making resolutions because you are comparing yourself with the people you met during the holidays is just a total waste of time. One thing you must know is that people stage appearances for the holidays. They will lease cars to come and look like they are doing well. I am sure you stage your own holiday story too. So, is soon after the holidays really a good time to make those resolutions? Avoid failure by avoiding new years resolutions.

Here are some of the other reasons why we fail at honoring our resolutions…

Not making achievable goals

When coining your new year’s resolutions, look at them as a marathon, not a sprint. One people need to do is to stop rushing things and making humongous goals. When you do this, all is does to you is it puts so much pressure on you and drains you. Eventually, you end up hating the whole process.

You cannot remodel your whole entire life overnight. A small and steady habit change may not be what you want but it’s a better way to achieving and sustaining your goals. Set smaller goals that you can build upon over time and your resolutions will become attainable. Small changes last because they are less intimidating in terms of achieving them.

Losing yourself

One of the other reasons why new year resolutions fail is that people strive to be better but, in the process, they start to lose themselves and lose their identities. They perceive being better to mean being uncomfortable with who they are.

You need to accept that you have flaws. Analyze them. Change those you can change. Accept that you can never run away from those you can’t fix. You can be a better person and still acknowledge and accept your flaws. So instead of losing your identity in the name of being better, focus on small and attainable self-improvements.

Comparing yourself to others

As I mentioned above, the holidays can really put pressure on someone. Every time I go home, I usually find myself trying to paint a certain picture for my siblings. I would always try to compete with them. So, if I found that they were doing better than I was, on New Year’s Eve I would coin my resolutions around their lives. Guess what, the only ones that I would manage to achieve were those that I made for myself… those that had nothing to do with my perception of what my siblings had achieved.

The day I realized that their lives weren’t that rosy, was the day I stopped going out of my way to live a life I could not afford just to please them. A better idea for new year resolutions is to stop making your resolutions based on people you only meet once a year. If you do so, in the end, you will cave in under that pressure.

Trying too hard… not enjoying the process

People usually have the habit of depriving their bodies of pleasure in the name of trying to achieve their goals. The truth about the matter is, if you keep telling yourself that you CAN’T have something, then you will definitely want it more.

The other related reason I have realized why new year resolutions fail is that people are making resolutions which they end up seeing as a chore. This is the reason why most people struggle with their weight and achieving their weight loss goals. They look at eating as a chore. So, they get bored with the whole process. If you make resolutions that you don’t enjoy, then you will have trouble achieving them.

A better idea for new year resolutions is to first ask yourself if whatever you want to work on is worth the trouble. That is why I usually tell people that they can avoid failure by avoiding new years resolutions. The main aim is not to add more stress to your life. You can never succeed in doing something we hate consistently. And so long as you are making some progress with your plan, let yourself indulge occasionally.

The same ol’ same ol’ resolutions.

New year same resolution. Really? That is another reason that people end up setting themselves for massive failure. If you didn’t succeed all the other years, what makes you think this will be different. Clearly, you are making an unrealistic one. Break it down to manageable bits or make a fresh goal.

For more life hack articles, visit Love is All Colors.