It's New Years Eve, and if you are like most people, you are getting ready to eat, drink, and be merry with friends and family. Today, for many people, marks the end of days for those bad habits that we have been holding onto, and tomorrow is the dawn of a new day. A new year filled with opportunity. You are probably also watching your friends post their New Years Resolutions, and possibly even setting some lofty goals yourself. Admirable, but mistaken.
With that in mind, here are 5 reasons why I am not setting New Years Resolutions this year.
1. I Already Have Goals
As a lifelong goal setter, I already have goals. I have monthly goals, weekly goals, and daily goals. I write my goals every day, OK almost every day, and write action items in my planner that move me forward on a daily basis, OK almost a daily basis. Bottom line, no need to set resolutions. I have goals that I am working toward already. My resolution is the same as it is every day. I resolve to attempt to get closer to the bulls-eye on a daily basis.
2. You Probably Don't Have Goals
Maybe my "I already have goals" applies to you. If so, awesome. If not, be honest, you probably don't have goals. I am not talking about things you would "like to do." I am talking about real goals. You may not even know how to set goals. You are probably in the camp of people who set goals because they feel like they should, or because they feel like someone is going to ask them what their New Years Resolution is at work next week. If that is the case, you will probably set lackluster goals. Goals like "Lose some weight," "Pay off debt," "Spend more time with my kids," etc. By February, you may not even remember what they are anyway.
3. I Am Going To Mess Myself Up On New Years Eve
And so are you. I plan on eating what I want and having a few drinks. If you are setting resolutions, you are treating 2016 like a marathon that you are going to start running on January 1 and stop running on December 31. If you were going to run a marathon tomorrow, would you eat chicken wings and drink until you had to struggle to stay awake? Probably not. I am not going to stress about what I have to do tomorrow. I am going to enjoy the now.
4. I Am Busy Being Grateful
The year gone by was wonderful, and it is important to take time to reflect on achievements. Success breeds success. Resolutions make you focus on what you did wrong the year before. Focus on what you did right. What did you rock at. Maybe the answer is to continue to rock those things harder. You are good at them. Be grateful for the things you DID DO and the people who are in the room with you and in your life.
5. You Need To Stop The Cycle
If you are stuck and have been stuck for a long time, setting a resolution is not going to fix it. You might just suck at that one thing. Maybe you suck at budgeting or suck at willpower, or suck at exercising. Do you really push yourself, or do you workout until you feel like you have had enough and then go home? Maybe losing weight on your own isn't in the cards. Maybe you need a trainer to help you with it. Get help. Get a trainer. Get a financial adviser. Shit, buy a book. Bottom Line, know when to fire yourself from a job and hire someone who can get you from A to B, or read a book that will teach you how to do it and become obsessed with studying.
Last note. It is important to know that failing to hit a goal is part of being a goal oriented person. If I achieved every goal I set, life would be boring. If you have ever played or watched people play video games, they lose MILLIONS of times before beating the game. That is why we play. We learn from the drops and move closer and closer to the bullseye every day. You have what it takes to succeed. Stop falling into the hype of the masses and start doing things that really make a difference. A great tool I bumped into this year was The Five Minute Journal. One short page of questions every day (the same questions) that help you get your day and life in focus and move you closer to the goal line. Check it out on their website here.
Happy New Year!
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