So me and my business partner Gabby have actually made a resolution to get ourselves out there on our instagram platforms this year. So we are doing a Live series where we go Live once a week, on Wednesday’s at 6PM EST, in case you were wanting to tune in, answering the most commonly asked questions on the web! This week’s topic…. You guessed it!! RESOLUTIONS! So let’s dive into the good stuff!
Who Invented Resolutions?
According to the worldwide web, it was the Ancient Babylonians who are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s Resolutions, some 4,000 years ago! I found that to be quite interesting that resolutions have been around for such an extensive amount of time!
Why Resolutions Are Important!
Resolutions are important because it gives people something to look forward to and keep working towards. Making a resolution shows that you have the belief & the hope in your abilities to change damaging habits & become an overall better version of yourself!
Essentially it’s how things get done! Treating your resolution like a goal that needs to be accomplished. I’ve even read that resolutions are the language of the brain. In other words, the executive function of the brain, or a cluster of cognitive abilities, which has evolved enabling us to set & achieve goals. This brain function is what sets us apart from any other living creature! We don’t just live life on auto-pilot, we actually take action based on planning.
Setting resolutions actually helps provide clarity in one’s life. Providing us with a vision & and a plan for our future. They give us meaning, a higher purpose, a deeper reason for wanting to accomplish something. Not to mention they make us feel good. One of our most basic emotional reactions is happiness through pursuit. So the action of sticking to a goal until it is accomplished has its own sense of happiness attached to it. Lastly, goals and resolutions keep us connected. Connected to your inner desires, your friends, your family and even your community. Common goals are the foundational block on which we build communities!
Why Resolutions Fail?
First and foremost, we need to stop treating our resolutions like a sprint, when in reality, it is a marathon. The simplest of lessons is that slow & steady wins the race! Another reason why most people fail at committing to their resolutions is that they make too big of a resolution and have no real plan on how to accomplish it! Small changes stick better because they are not intimidating. So if you have a resolution that you want to accomplish by the end of the year, break it down to months, weeks, and then days. That way it will be small changes all working towards the ultimate end goal.
When you have a list of attainable goals and slowly start implementing them, you are more likely to succeed in accomplishing your resolution. I personally love getting a new habit tracker for each month to track the progress of my goals! Even the simple task of using a notebook and a pen will do the trick! All you need to do is record what you are doing each day to get you closer to your end goal and to keep track of your measurements in the process, that way you will have a visual of your progress and this will motivate you to keep going.
Another reason people fail at their resolutions is they don’t believe in themselves! A failure to act can cripple you before you even leave the starting line! Many of us don’t practice positive self-talk and it shows! You have to talk to yourself positively, always encouraging, fully believing in yourself and your abilities! What you believe becomes your reality! If you believe you will never slim down to your goal weight, not only are you sabotaging yourself, but you continue to put yourself down mentally, and then let yourself talk you out of doing what needs to be done to actually slim down! Your thoughts provoke your actions, so if you continuously tell yourself that you can’t, then the actions you take (or don’t take) will go along with your thought process. We must remember that our minds are always thinking and moving! It is either thinking positive thoughts to support you in your current goals, or going against you, there is no neutral, you must choose to think positive!
Another daunting reason of why most people tend to fail at their resolutions is they know their what, but not their why! In other words, they know what they want, but not why they want it. Your resolutions should be specific, vivid and time sensitive! All these only help to keep you motivated to keep going, because you know what you are working towards and why you are working towards it! Even when it gets hard, this “why” will keep you going and remind you of why you are sacrificing and working so hard every day! So it goes without saying, this should be emotional and deeply connected to you!
After going through the several reasons on why people don’t stick to their resolutions for the entirety of the year, these were just a few of the most common factors.
How Many Resolutions Should You Make?
Honestly, there is no real limit to how many resolutions you should or should not make in a given time span. Just as long as each one of them are attainable. In order to ensure that you need to make sure that you aren’t being vague when making them, and do not go into the resolution without a set plan of how it can be accomplished. Another tip when setting your resolutions for the year is to not overload yourself. Choose your plans and your goals according to what your main outcome is going to be. For example, if your main outcome at the end of the year is to lose weight, then make your resolutions in accordance with that main outcome! If your main outcome is to grow your business, then make small goals for how you’re going to do that and BE SPECIFIC!
In reality, anyone who puts their mind to it and actually puts in more than the minimal amount of effort is more than capable of accomplishing their resolutions. It’s all about mindset and making sure you set aside time for yourself this year! Don’t get swept away with the wind and only react to what is happening around you. Be the cause and effect in your life and take control!! Do not let yourself wake up this time next year to discover that you have made little to no progress on goals and resolutions that you claimed to be so important to you are your quality of life. Let’s make 2021 our year to get shit done!
Sassy Selina 