Six reasons why many are unable to stick to their New Year resolutions

As we approach the end of the year we may feel more aware or confused more focused or distracted more poised or ruffled more driven or more settled more ambitious or content all of this is fine Whatever our mood we are preoccupied with working out a list of new year resolutions and how to keep them this timeSo despite our best intentions why is it so difficult to stick to resolutions It doesnt matter if the resolution is to start a new habit or to give up an addiction it all comes down to consistency and dedicationMost people blame their failure to fulfill resolutions on a lack of time resources or motivation or a loss of zeal after starting Only about 16 percent of people are able to follow their resolutions according to research The majority give up within one to six weeks of starting and many of these resolutions are repeated year after yearThere are many reasons why most New Year resolutions dont stick The main question is What can be done about thisDr Chandni Tugnait a psychotherapist and life and business coach takes a closer look at the six main reasonsSetting unrealistic resolutionsA resolution is about what you would like to do rather than what you should do People either establish excessively difficult objectives that quickly become unreachable or they set relatively easy goals that they quickly become bored with Its critical to review your resolutions to see if theyre achievable Are they quantifiable Are they constrained by time Are they specific in nature Are they in line with your goals Is it possible to break them down into smaller chunks Is it possible to achieve them within the time frame youve set Remember that in order to keep a resolve you must change your behaviour so make sure your goals are reasonableLack of accountabilityWorking with a coach mentor or accountability partner guarantees that the proper energy and drive are present to help you be more accomplish more and have more Because success is a science we can be sure that if we follow the steps we will achieve our goals Avoid people who sap your energy when choosing an accountability partner and instead work with people that elevate and encourage you especially when youre feeling downNo trackingreviewA weekly or fortnightly review allows you to keep track of your progress and turn excuses into opportunities What gets measured gets done and what gets done can be improved and made a habit with the help of a good tracking system Many of the apparent barriers are based on assumptions inferences judgments overthinking and previous points of reference A track record of accomplishments aids in the development of resolution consistencyLack of planningGreat planning is always required for a good implementation It is more realistic if you plan the action steps around the resolution break them down into smaller pieces and schedule them on the calendar Weekly objectives and plans that are bitesized create a sense of accomplishment rather than Oh I have an entire year to myself I can always restart next month when I have more time Planning also ensures that all necessary adjustments are sketched out ahead of time along with an understanding of potential challenges This boosts your chances of success especially when it comes to longterm goalsSelfdoubtDont allow your past failures dictate your future After youve learned from your failures its time to get to work Every tiny victory should be celebrated because it motivates you to work harder for the larger ones Being selfcritical or doubtful doesnt help since it focuses all of your attention and energy on why I cant do this As you improve practice thankfulness compassion and love for yourself and dont let a minor setback or disappointment turn into a permanent failure Remember that progress is preferable to perfection and that if you believe in yourself you can achieve a lot with proper planning execution learning seeking help and appropriate coaching Continue on you are not aloneUnclear WhyA majority of people fail to achieve their objectives because their why is unclear The why is what motivates people to take action and achieve goals You may know what you want but you wont be able to figure out how to get it unless you know why you want it So why are you making these resolutions What motivates you to achieve these objectives What motivates you to do what you do What emotional connection does your why have All excuses go away when the purpose is strong and one naturally switches from a fixed attitude to a growing mindsetIt is important to be mindful take responsibility stay committed and direct all focus on the alignment of energy mindset and action in order to stick to ones new year resolutions Start with a picture of your future self in your mind make the image big and bright feel it deeply and hold onto it as a daily reminder Dont be too hard or too easy on self and most importantly enjoy the process of change and transformation Remember winners and losers have the same goals it is what one does to fill the gap in between that makes all the differenceAlso Read Yearender 2021 What did Mumbairsquos brave new restaurants learn in their first tough year in business