On December 31 every year, millions of people make resolutions to become “better versions of themselves”. Usually these resolutions revolve around things like improving health, doing more of this, less of that, etc, and huge expectations are formed that this year will be “the best year yet”. However, why do people continuously find themselves disappointed at the end of each year when they were so sure that this year would be different? The answer to this question stems from the pattern of each individual’s goal setting process.
A huge contributing factor to the failure of resolutions is that people tend to set unrealistic goals for the new year. The problem with this is that we are thinking too big. Our resolutions typically revolve around huge changes, when, as humans, we’re not wired to suddenly make big changes without initially going through a psychological process. People often aren’t aware of the discomfort that comes with the major change that they’re romanticizing.
“In order to change a behavior, you have to be uncomfortable, and nobody wants to be uncomfortable,” Jennifer Kowalski, a licensed professional counselor said. “So in order to see a lasting change, you have to be in a state of discomfort for a really long period of time…. People tend to set [New Year’s resolutions] that are really big, and they might be achievable, but there are probably thirty steps they need to take before they get to that place.”
Another common contributor towards the inefficiency of resolutions is where people are finding motivation. Or in more accurate words, a lack of motivation. Typically, resolutions are based on things that people believe they need to do, and not focused on what’s actually in it for them. A better route to success would be to find an emotional reason for one’s goals, and focus on how beneficial they will be for personal growth. Making this simple mindset switch can have drastic changes to one’s frame of mind when it comes to finding motivation to actually enjoy working towards goals.
“The ones that are more fitted for you are more successful, because if you have a bigger goal and something that you want to accomplish, it’s easier to stay determined and focus on that, than something like drinking more water,” Samantha Aguilar, sophomore, said.
Last of all, self-doubt and setbacks can have major consequences on the mental endurance that is associated with goal setting. Frequently, resolutions get thrown in the garbage bin after only a little while when people realize how hard it’s actually going to be. If people believe it’s going to be a major challenge, self-doubt can creep in and cripple goals instantaneously. As a goal striver, people have to be willing to be stronger than their self-doubt and acknowledge that small setbacks are all part of the road to success.
By understanding these common contributing factors to the failure of new year’s resolutions, one can find success by making certain small changes in their goal striving process.
