Why I Don't Believe In New Year's Resolutions
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Every January, without fail, numerous people jump on the New Year’s resolutions train. They make resolutions to lose weight, get more sleep, improve their nutrition, and much more. And while making those New Year’s resolutions may be well-intentioned, data has proven time and time again that this is an ineffective approach to goal-setting. In reality, most people give up on their resolutions by January 19, so they stop doing their newfound behavior and habits before they can even see the results or reap the benefits of them. It’s a futile perspective, yet we take that approach every single year. There has to be a better way, right?
Now, I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I believe that resolve itself is much more important and powerful than a resolution—resolve is within you, while a resolution is outside of you. So instead of making resolutions this year, let’s start making commitments (aka behaviors that we commit to doing in pursuit of our ultimate goals).
Here are a few tips for making commitments, and how to set yourself up for success.
1. Don’t make your commitments so big that you fail.
When formulating your commitments, my best advice is to be equal parts ambitious and realistic. In other words, you don’t want to make commitments that are so enormous that they feel insurmountable. If you have a larger goal in mind—let’s say, you want to start exercising five days a week—acknowledge that achieving that may take some time, and create smaller goals and commitments along the way.
For example, commit to exercising twice a week for two weeks, and see where that gets you. At the end of the two weeks, assess the experience. Was that manageable for you? Were you able to do it? If the answer is yes, commit to three times a week for the next two weeks, and continue to add days as you progress. Trying to eat more veggies? Commit to eating one more per day than you do now. Creating commitments that are achievable will set you up for success, and those little wins will make the overall process more enjoyable. And if at any point, you’re not honoring your commitment, take a step back, reevaluate, and try again!
2. Reinforce what you want on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
When we’re trying to make permanent changes to our behavior and develop new habits, it’s easy to lose sight of them when faced with obstacles. When you’re feeling sad and want to soothe your emotions with food, you’ll probably silence the voice in your head that’s saying “don’t forget about your goals!” Similarly, if you haven’t eaten very well for a few days, it can be tempting to throw in the towel rather than put in the work to get back on track.
To combat this, try checking in with yourself on a daily, weekly, AND monthly basis. When you wake up in the morning, write down three small tasks for the day that will allow you to honor your commitment and/or get you closer to your long-term goal. At the end of each week, sit down and write down “wins” (positives) from the week and what you want to improve the following week. Lastly, at the end of the month, take a look at your commitments and see how you did in terms of fulfilling them. From there, you can adjust if needed—scaling back if they were too much, or leveling up if you can take on more. These check-ins will help keep you accountable and motivated, in both the short-term and long-term!
3. Reward yourself in a way that will make you continue.
We all need a little validation and celebration every once in a while, and rewarding yourself for sticking to your commitments is an excellent way to keep yourself going when it feels extra challenging. Of course, you don’t want your rewards to sabotage your efforts—so eating a donut after going to the gym once isn’t what I would call a good reward. If you honor your commitments for a month, treat yourself to that sweater you wanted, a pedicure, whatever makes you happy. Take a fancy bubble bath at the end of a long week, or cook your favorite meal. The goal here is to give yourself positive reinforcement—because when you do something and get rewarded, it makes doing that behavior easier and easier every time.
At the end of the day, you are the author of your own life. You are capable of making commitments and honoring them, you just need the right approach! I hope you’ll head into 2023 with a renewed perspective on resolutions and the belief that you can do whatever you set your mind to.
See you on the other side!
Xo,
Renata