Studies have shown that 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 25% 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, and 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝟴% accomplish them. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀?

As 2020 comes to a close, we begin seeing the customary “new year, new me” posts pop up around social media.

We’ve become accustomed by now to the idea of New Year’s resolutions, and the renewed hope that this is going to be “our year.”

Again.

We’ve all seen the packed gyms (pre-Covid life) for the first few weeks of January before the new faces fade again and go back to the same ol’ patterns.

We’ve pledged to start saving money, to hold higher standards in our relationships, to finally lose that last 10 pounds. Yet, the statistics show the odds are stacked high against resolutioners.

Why do so few people actually follow through with their resolutions? Here are a few reasons:

We set our goals too high.

Listen, I’m the first person to tell you to reach for the stars and believe that you are limitless. I am also the first person to encourage you to break down large goals into smaller, more achievable ones. This allows you to take a step-by-step process towards a long journey.

Many people who set a resolution will start big, and immediately feel intimidated by the task. Saying you’re going to lose 50 pounds is a much different undertaking than setting the goal of 3 pounds per week — to eventually reach 50 pounds lost.

By setting realistic, obtainable goals, we can take bite size pieces out of the task.

For example: Start by pledging to not look at your phone for the first 5 minutes that you’re awake each morning. It may seem small, but starting to build credibility with yourself and show that you can keep your word (to YOU) is the first step to larger accomplishments.

Celebrate your small victories. Train yourself to appreciate each win. That’s how you’ll stay motivated to pursue the next one.

Don’t worry about being great today. Setting goals too high will quickly discourage you and throw you off course altogether.

We don’t put a real plan in place.

Statistically, one of the most common resolutions is: “I’m going to lose weight.”

Great! How?

We all know that we should be more active and cut out crappy foods if we want to lose weight, but if we truly understood how the process is best achieved, we’d be doing it on a regular basis already.

Which gym will you join? Have you found a reputable local or online trainer? Are there any local accountability groups you can join? Have you consulted a nutritionist about setting up your new meal plan?

Making a plan is the essential foundation of achieving any goal, whether it is personal or professional. As the old saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail.

We expect results too quickly.

Spoiler alert: Progress takes time.

Living in an instant gratification society has added to the pressure of feeling like everything needs to be done right now. Regardless of the nature of the goal, we need to stay patient and focused on the long term outcome. Hoping for and expecting instant or quick results can only lead to discouragement and disappointment.

Using a tracking system to monitor our progress will help to see that forward motion is, in fact, still happening.

We don’t seek out proper guidance.

Our current skillset and knowledge base has already brought us as far as it’s going to. In order to do better, we must become better.

This means reading new books, finding new accountability partners, seeking out new information that will fuel the fire of our progress. Even hiring an experienced and trusted advisor to walk the journey with us.

Surrounding ourselves with the right people who’ve already gone where we want to go.

If we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep getting what we’ve always gotten. If we already knew what to do and how to do it, we wouldn’t need to set the resolution in the first place. We’d already be on the right track.

We don’t fundamentally shift our mindset and perspective.

As Albert Einstein famously remarked: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Our identity and purpose are what drives our decision making on a regular basis. Clarity around who we are and what we accept from ourselves and others is rooted in these concepts.

If we maintain our limiting beliefs and negative self-talk, but simply go through the motions of pursuing a goal, we will never be equipped to overcome the challenges and roadblocks that will inevitably present themselves along the way.

Like any solid structure, it’s best built with a strong foundation that allows it to weather the storm. The strength of our mindset is the foundation that our accomplishments are built on. To skip this step and expect the same level of success is setting ourselves up for failure.

To create real change in our lives we must be willing to do the real, inner work. To take an uncensored look at the areas we want to improve, stop feeling bad for ourselves, and create a logical and pragmatic informed approach that will give us the best chances of success.

Our identity must shift to appreciating all that we are and have the capability of becoming.

When we tie our concept of self to the ability to learn and improve, doors begin to open and opportunities begin presenting themselves — but only after we have shown the universe that we are fully serious about walking the path.

If we want to accomplish all of our goals, we must first work on evolving into the person capable of doing so.

We must go all in, or not go at all.

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