Why resolutions set you up for failure

Traditionally, this is the time of year lots of people reflect on the resolutions they set at the beginning of the year. Realizing many of their “this time I will do it” resolutions resulted in giving up, they are preparing for the next round of resolutions. Often, they will set the same ones in the coming year as they did the previous year.

The most common being:
• Lose weight
• Eat healthy
• Exercise
• Quit smoking
• Get out of debt
• Drink less (or quit all together)
• Get in a relationship
• Get out of a relationship
• Quit their job
• Find a new job

According to Nielsen.com at the beginning of 2015, “Health and wellness were top priorities for U.S. consumers as January took hold, as data from a new Nielsen survey highlight how “staying fit and healthy” is our top resolution, coming in at 37%, followed closely by “lose weight” (32%). And based on the survey results, just a handful of us are throwing in the towel and not making any resolutions (16%).”

Guess what? It’s likely health and wellness are at the top for a great majority of people as we move into 2016. Yet, the likelihood of those who begin their health regime at the start of the year and sticking with their goal longer than a few weeks is minimal at best.

It’s the same with quitting smoking and drinking. Those who are using January 1st as their target date to quit are likely to pick up a cigarette or drink within a very short period of time.

And then you have those who swear they will make dramatic changes in their business starting in the new year. Whether it be to organize their office, improve on time management, or do a better job at reaching out to past clients and prospecting for new clients, their intentions are sincere, but their behaviors will likely not match their intentions.

Thus, more resolutions are finding their way into the pit of frustration and the cemetery of good intentions. The reality is this; waiting until a specific date (in this case, January 1st) to make much needed changes that can be started right here, right now, is keeping you stuck.

Those who will stick with their goals are those who are not waiting. They are willing to put their stake in the ground and do what needs to be done immediately.

In the case of health and fitness, if your health is in need of improvement, why in the world would you wait another six weeks to make the necessary changes? If your health is that important to you, start today.

If you keep saying to yourself, “I really need to quit smoking,” do you really think waiting another six weeks is going to give you the motivation you need to put cigarettes down once and for all.

Now before anyone says, “Kathleen, you don’t understand. Quitting smoking is really hard!” Yes, I do understand. I quit in April of 1994. When I lit up for the last time I had had it. I was done. I didn’t need to wait for a specific date to make that decision.

With your business, can you really afford to wait six more weeks to pick up the phone to prospect? Can you wait until January 1st to get more organized? Are a few more weeks going to give you more desire to reach out to clients you haven’t spoken to in a while? Why not make those changes today?

Over the past week, I’ve had several conversations with quite a few entrepreneurs who say they absolutely must generate more money in their businesses. A simple solution for generating more money is to immediately get rid of any distractions that are keeping you from the very activities that will generate revenues.

It’s actually quite simple to do this. Not always easy, but definitely simple. You make a decision. Once the decision is made, you stick with it. Simple.

What is it that you want to commit to in the coming year? On a scale of 1 – 10, with ten being incredibly important, how important is this change for you?

If you’re closer to a 10 than a 1, why would you wait six weeks to make the change? Why not start today?

Are you ready to live the life you claim you want? If the answer is yes, today is the day to begin. No excuses…. just the actions to support your claim.