Every year at this time you start seeing media stories about New Year’s resolutions. We all get sucked into the hype of making grandiose proclamations of how we are going to live our lives differently starting on January 1. Don’t do it!
Did you know: Studies show that only 8% of Americans who make a New Year’s resolution actually keep them all year and 80% have failed by the start of February. Why do 92% of us fail? There are countless reasons but before I dive into that I was first intrigued by how the concept of New Year’s resolutions began.
The Origin OF RESOLUTIONS
According to what I read on the internet…The practice of making a New Year’s resolution has been a part of human history for over 4,000 years when the ancient Babylonians would make promises to the gods they worshipped. History also cites the Romans making sacrifices to Janus, who they believed symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future.
While the traditions and motivations for New Year’s resolutions have changed, the practice of making New Year’s resolutions continues.
WHY DO WE MAKE THE SAME RESOLUTIONS EVERY YEAR?
Below are some of the most common resolutions Americans make on an annual basis. See if you can detect a recurring theme:
- Health: Exercise more/lose weight/eat better/drink less alcohol/stop smoking
- Money management: get out of debt/make more money/start a budget
- Learn new skill or hobby
- Spend more time on personal well-being
- Spend more time with family and friends
- Go back to church
Commercialized Resolutions
Like most concepts surrounding holidays in our country, the idea of New Year’s resolutions has become commercialized. It’s nothing more than a marketing ploy to persuade people to buy gym memberships, diet plans, and self-help books. It’s America’s way of commercializing a concept to convince you to purchase a product or service in hopes of you feeling better about yourself.
WHY RESOLUTIONS FAIL
Why are we making the same resolutions every year and why do they fail? Below are some of the most common reasons why New Year’s resolutions continue to miss the mark:
- Goals are not specific enough – You can’t say, “I’m going to get out of debt this year” or “I’m going to lose weight this year.” You have to develop more targeted goals.
- You’re treating a marathon like a sprint – We all want immediate results as we live in a society of instant gratification. Realistically, you can’t pay off $50,000 of debt or lose 30 pounds in one month.
- You know your “what” but not your “why” – Why do you want to eliminate your debt? Why do you want to eat better? Why do you want to lose weight? Determining your why will add clarity and motivate you to accomplish your goal.
- No accountability partners – It’s difficult to work out in the gym without a partner. Having someone to push you to achieve your goals can serve as the extra boost you need to get you over the top.
- Not having a plan – developing a specific, targeted plan will help you create momentum to achieve your ultimate goal.
- Goals are too ambitious – By creating too many unreachable goals you are simply setting yourself up for failure –
- Why wait until January 1? – it continues to perplex me we why wait until the calendar says “January 1” to set goals for ourselves. If you want to start a budget and manage your money more efficiently in July, why not start then? We should always have goals every day in our lives – not just on January 1.
Yogi Berra Said…
During the time I was writing this blog I was reading a book of Yogi Berra’s famous quotes. Berra is a former Major League Baseball legend who played for the New York Yankees. During his illustrious career he was an 18-time All-Star, won 13 World Series championships, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. When I read the following quote, it jumped off the page!
If you don’t set goals, you can’t regret not reaching them. – Yogi Berra
While Yogi was most likely being sarcastic when he said that, this thought process represents my attitude toward New Year’s resolutions. Don’t waste your time with resolutions. You’re setting yourself up for failure and regret. You should always have goals, visions, and missions in life, but don’t succumb to the hoopla of making overzealous goals for the sole reason that the date is “January 1.”
Here’s to a happy, safe, and prosperous 2022!
Jason is the author of Margin Matters: How to Live on a Simple Budget & Crush Debt Forever and IT IS POSSIBLE!: How I Earned Two Debt-Free Degrees…and How You Can, Too.