{"id":99065,"date":"2024-01-05T04:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T04:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/?p=99065"},"modified":"2025-01-09T08:46:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T08:46:18","slug":"keeping-new-years-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/keeping-new-years-resolutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Suck at Keeping New Year\u2019s Resolutions"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the second week of January, which means that some have already abandoned their New Year\u2019s resolutions, while some have just begun \u2013 we all know that January is a trial-run. If you\u2019ve already failed at keeping your New Years\u2019 resolutions, that\u2019s okay, there\u2019s always next week or next month, right? If this sounds a lot like you, we regret to inform you that you\u2019re likely part of the \u2018I\u2019ll start on Monday\u2019 gang, otherwise known as the \u2018Quitter’s Day\u2019 club.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What if we told you that you’re not the only one \u2018failing\u2019 to keep your New Year\u2019s resolutions? According to U.S. News & World Report, approximately 80% of people that set New Year\u2019s resolutions fail by mid-February (if not earlier in the year). In fact, there\u2019s a predicted day that most people throw in the towel.<\/p>\n

Statistically, people are likely to give up on their resolutions by the second Friday of January \u2013 aptly dubbed as \u201cQuitter\u2019s Day\u201d. This year, Quitter\u2019s Day falls on Friday, 12 January.<\/p>\n

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How to suck less at keeping New Year’s resolutions \u2013 hopefully…<\/h3>\n

When you think about it, we often approach our daily work tasks in an effective manner, but when it comes to our personal goals, they tend to fall by the wayside. This could be for a number of reasons \u2013 it\u2019s either we believe we don\u2019t have the time nor energy, or are stuck in our ways. Your initial attitude towards your New Year\u2019s resolutions might be positive. We all feel invincible at the start of the year, but as time passes that heightened sense of euphoria might dissipate. Suddenly, it could feel overwhelming to even think about getting that promotion or finally doing that triathlon on top of the millions of to-do\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here’s some reasons why you might be struggling to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, and a couple of light suggestions for those looking to turn over a new leaf in 2023.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s a new year, but is it a ‘new you’?<\/h4>\n

Those who actually make New Year\u2019s resolutions might fall into the trap of reinventing themselves. Humans supposedly replace their cells every seven to ten years, meaning you could technically be a \u2018new you\u2019. This sounds great in theory, but if you\u2019ve had the same goal for the past couple of years and a poor track record \u2013 hate to break it to you \u2013 it\u2019s a new year, but the same you. We usually despise when other people say one thing but do another, so why do we do this ourselves?<\/p>\n

Cognitive dissonance<\/a> explains the psychological conflict\/dissonance that arises when our behaviours oppose our beliefs or thoughts. This internal clash typically motivates the individual to either adjust their attitude towards the situation or by changing behaviours, so that the one is consistent with the other.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Cognitive<\/p>\n

It might be wise to ask yourself, what\u2019s going to be different this year? If your expectation is to tackle a life-changing goal, this will demand you to be honest with yourself. Are you expecting different outcomes from the same level of input? If so, it might be time to either challenge your perception or change certain behaviours.<\/p>\n

\n

Time to forgive yourself<\/h4>\n

If you\u2019ve been inconsistent in tackling your New Year’s resolutions, you could be holding yourself back \u2013 the best way to overcome this hurdle is to forgive yourself for stunting your growth or progress. In certain conflict resolution cases, we tend to forgive others that might have wronged us \u2013 not because we necessarily agree with their actions, but rather to ameliorate the situation. You deserve to show yourself the same grace and forgive yourself for previous shortcomings.<\/p>\n

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Are you being realistic or overly ambitious?<\/h4>\n

We live in a fast-paced world where life revolves around instant gratification and convenience \u2013 this mindset might transfer to your goal approach. Have patience, long term goals take time to achieve before you notice visible results. Set a goal, break it down into smaller chunks and draft a timeline; any goal needs a quantifiable measurement or target.<\/p>\n

One of the most common New year\u2019s resolutions is weight loss. If your goal is to simply lose weight \u2013 that\u2019s quite a load. It\u2019s like telling your friend ‘we should hang out sometime’ \u2013 that could be tomorrow or two years from now. Instead of setting unattainable goals with unrealistic or vague timelines, coupled with expectations of radical change, try to be more specific.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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What\u2019s standing in the way of your goals?<\/h4>\n

When talking about aspirations, we often say things like \u2018one day when I win the lotto\u2019, \u2018when I lose weight\u2019, \u2018one day when I have time\u2019. While these all sound like excuses, they\u2019re also reality \u2013 but one day may never come if you keep delaying things. Sometimes obtaining one goal means having to take care of another first. I know what you\u2019re thinking, exactly what you need, one more goal.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/p>\n

Identifying stumbling blocks could help you achieve your New Year\u2019s resolutions. If your goal is stifled due to monetary reasons, this could be a good time to become more savvy and start budgeting better, especially since we\u2019re in the midst of an economic crisis!<\/p>\n

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Check your attitude at the door<\/h4>\n

Those who commit themselves to New year\u2019s resolutions often start out by saying \u2018this is going to be my year\u2019 and it very well could be\u2026 but when problems or inconveniences arise, as they often do, our vision for the new year might become obscured.<\/p>\n

One of the most effective ways to reach your New Year\u2019s resolution is to adopt a mantra. While this won\u2019t make your resolutions magically come true, manifestations or mantras could prove useful if you tend to become despondent during high-stress periods or are perturbed by inconveniences. Make your mantra personal and ensure that it resonates with you. It could be \u2018deep\u2019 or silly like \u201clive, laugh and love\u201d. Point is, if it\u2019s good enough to write on a bumper sticker or sounds like a tumblr<\/em> quote, then it\u2019s a good mantra.<\/p>\n

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When tragedy strikes…<\/h4>\n

Bear in mind, there is only so much that\u2019s within our control. If a life-shattering event strikes, this is bound to impact most areas of your life, and trigger depression<\/a> or anxiety.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you to lose sight of your resolutions, for whatever reason, don\u2019t be too hard on yourself. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that whatever aspirations we had were forced to take a backseat over the past two years. In the words of John Lennon, \u201clife happens when you\u2019re busy making other plans\u201d. Taking care of your mental health should be just as big a priority as your other New Year\u2019s resolutions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Reward systems<\/h4>\n

A reward system<\/a> might come in handy. After completing one part of your goal, reward your efforts; place a gold star on your forehead, give yourself a treat or whatever seems like a reasonable reward.<\/p>\n

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Showing up for yourself<\/h4>\n

Having a mantra and rewards are all good and well, but putting in the work is also necessary. Remind yourself why you want to obtain your New Year\u2019s resolution and remember that consistency is paramount to achieving any goal. If you\u2019ve had a change of heart, it might be time to shift gears and reconsider your goal if it’s no longer working for you.<\/p>\n

\"New
\nDo monthly check-ins and review your progress, but the less scary version of sitting in front of your boss. If things still aren\u2019t adding up for you, ask a confidant for a second opinion. But, more often than not, we dish advice that we should heed \u2013 you have the upper hand since you know yourself best.<\/p>\n

*If none of these tips help, resort to taking cold showers and meditate eight days a week.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Follow us on social media<\/a> or subscribe to our weekly newsletter<\/a> for more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the second week of January, which means that some have already abandoned their New Year\u2019s resolutions, while some have just begun \u2013 we all know that January is a trial-run. If you\u2019ve already failed at keeping your New Years\u2019 resolutions, that\u2019s okay, there\u2019s always next week or next month, right? If this sounds a lot like you, we regret to inform you that you\u2019re likely part of the \u2018I\u2019ll start on Monday\u2019 gang, otherwise known as the \u2018Quitter’s Day\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8133,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4098],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"acf":[],"brand_slug":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8133"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99065"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99252,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99065\/revisions\/99252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}