Resolution Revolution: Determination and Motivation

I have been thinking over the past couple of weeks about how many people tell me they don’t make new year’s resolutions.  When I ask why, the usual answer boils down to, they never keep, achieve, or succeed in making resolutions. 

The statistics seems to prove them right.  Within 32 days the average resolution made is broken.  68% of all resolutions made each year are broken, 32% are kept.  That means seven in ten people break their resolutions.  It is so common to make and then break a resolution, January 17^th has been slated as, National Ditch Your Resolution Day.  By February 1^st over 50% of all resolutions have been “ditched” and by June we have reached that seven in ten mark. In other words, we plan to fail.

Anyone can set a resolution but only a small percentage of people achieve them. This can boil down to your determination and your motivation to achieve your resolutions.

We are just 2 weeks away from the first quarter of 2022 being relegated to the proverbial “books”. So my question to you is, “How are you doing?”  Are you part of the 70%ers or are you still thriving in your resolution?

Well, either way, it is good to set resolutions each year, if for no other reason to better ourselves.  No one sets a new year’s resolution to be worse than last year.  If you are part of the 70%er club then let me give you a boost of encouragement.  It’s not too late to resign from this club and join the Resolution Revolution!  Here are a few tips to get you rolling.  

Before setting any type of resolution, sit down and really determine what you want to achieve. Look forward to the end of the year and think where you want to be. Steven Covey taught us to begin with the end in mind. (7 Habits of Highly Effective People) Reflect on both your personal and your public (work, business, community) life goals.

You may decide that by the end of the year you have completed a specific training course to further your career. You may make a commitment to that special person or you may want to kick a certain habit.

Start plotting a course backwards from your end goal. What do you need to do to achieve this? Write down all the steps, big or small, that you need to take to achieve your goal.

If you want to do a training course your steps could include things like saving the money for the course, applying for it and figuring out how to make the time to take the course.

As you plot each step you will easily discover if there are any gaps or things missing in your plan. If so, instead of using these things as an excuse to not move forwards, you can look for ways to work around them.

By planning ahead you can really define your resolution more easily. Once you see the steps planned out you can determine if you truly want to put in the effort to attain them. When you commit to this new plan you will already be more determined and motivated.

When approaching your resolutions in this manner you may find that what you thought you wanted is not your actual goal after all. As you go through the planning steps a clearer goal may emerge. This can be quite an eye opener and allows you to get on the right path immediately.

It can be really hard to tackle more than one resolution at a time. If you are part of the 70%ers club, thinking through the tasks to get to the final goal may reveal your heart really isn’t in that game plan.  Instead, resolve to get to something that sets you on fire with desire to accomplish it.

Write out all of your resolutions and then prioritize your list so that your main goal is at the top of the list. All of your resolutions may be intertwined, which in a way is good, as you can do one goal at a time.

Your resolutions may be to lose weight and exercise more. Instead of defining these things as two separate items combine them into one. As you increase your exercise you are going to be losing weight.

If your resolutions are totally unrelated then select your top choice as your first resolution and tackle that. As you become comfortable or complete this resolution you can add your second choice into the mix. Continue on in this way until all of your resolutions are fulfilled.

You are still only focusing on one thing at a time and this allows you to stay motivated and on track to reach it. While it can help to set deadlines for completing each resolution, remember that this is a form of motivation. Certain resolutions may take much longer than anticipated, and this is perfectly acceptable.  Simply readjust the rest of the timings.

Always remember that you are bettering your life in some way and these things are not always done overnight. While life may get in the way, always keep your resolution in mind and get back on track as soon as possible.

What do you do to stick to what you have resolved?  Leave a comment below?

If you want to take your Resolutions to a new level check out our new Resolution Revolution 10 Day Challenge.  It starts March 21st. In this brand new challenge you will find all you need to become someone who others want to follow in achieving the dreams, desires, and destinies you have been given.