Why New Year's Resolutions Suck

Why New Year's Eve Resolutions Suck

     Every year hundreds of thousands of people make promises to themselves and others. Mostly, those promises revolve around weight loss, eating better, exercising, spending more time with loved ones, getting a handle on finances, and the like.

     Many people make the same resolution year after year. Why do they repeat the same resolution? Because they make what they feel is a mistake within the first couple of weeks and give up.

     Every year people give themselves an opportunity to do the right/better thing for themselves and/or their families and they chuck it all at the first misstep.

     This one time of year seems to have a mystical, magical power to reduce our wills to dust, and then when the next New Year's Eve comes around, we are reminded of our failures and vow, this time we shall prevail.

     Every year the gymnasiums, yoga studios and fitness centers see a huge upwelling in memberships and attendance. This usually lasts a month to a month and a half. Then, people drop off, the crowds thin and another resolution is broken.

     There is an old saying, 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life'. January 1^st is not the only day in which you can say, 'Changes start now'. That is one of 365 days available to us all to reflect, make decisions and make plans. Is it easy to change a lifestyle that doesn't serve you? NO! And, drastic, immediate changes usually end in failure. Too much, too quickly is a way to fail. Yes, some can actually pull of the 'cold turkey' route, but that is a rare person and it has nothing to do with will.

     Make small changes. Integrate them into your life. Love them and nurture them as a way to nurture yourself. Then add another change, and another.

     And if you have a misstep? Oh freakin' well! Not the end of the universe! Had an extra piece of pie? With ice cream? Enjoy it! Do not beat yourself up and then down over it. Just didn't feel like going to the gym? Okay, don't go this time. Have trouble getting motivated, find a friend to go with or motivate you to do it. Just dislike that work out? Find something you enjoy. Spent the entire paycheck and forgot to set some money aside? Put, extra aside at the next check, or find a support group if you find that the desire to spend on stuff you really don't need is just that over-powering.

     Take back the power to live every day. Granting one day every year the power to initiate changes in your life serves nobody.

     So, the last New Year's Resolution is to live, grow, thrive, love, laugh and be, the best way you can, every day of every year for the rest of the life that lay before you.