Don't Set New Year's Resolutions!!

"New Year's is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time. Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of the year tick away, we become introspective. Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of self-improvement and the annual ritual of making resolutions, which offer the first of many important tools for remaking ourselves!"
Gary Ryan Blair

Happy New Year!! Ok, have you made those New Year’s resolutions yet?! Why not!? If you can believe it, I’m here to tell you to DON’T DO IT!!

First, as most of you know, I am a huge goal setting advocate. To me setting goals is important for all of us to achieve things in life. Without them, what are we living for or striving to do?! Some may even say I’m a goal FREAK because I have goals at work, goals for home-life, fitness goals, educational goals, church goals, and other personal goals. So this may come as a shock that I am saying NO, but let me explain why.

Most of us have goals already—many of which may be internal—so we don’t need a New Year’s Day to set them. The objectives we already have in life--the things we want to accomplish or those things which matter most to us--we are probably already working on; so why change that now? Just because it is New Year’s does not mean we need to set new goals. Instead we can continue to focus on those things we are already working on.

Statistics prove that the majority of the population fails to achieve New Year’s resolutions within the FIRST MONTH after setting them, and I believe a lot of the reason why is poor timing. The beginning of January is not always the most advantageous or opportune time to be making and keeping big commitments. And the truth is that setting goals this time of year is done more often out of tradition rather than true desire.

Finally, failure to achieve New Year resolutions results in some level of discouragement, disappointment, and resentment which really only holds us back. Therefore we only need to set goals at this time of year if we are serious about really accomplishing them. Otherwise, doing so will only hurt us.

Rather than setting New Year’s resolutions today, set them instead when you are ready and serious about making the commitment. In fact, why wait for a New Year at all? Why not set resolutions and goals year round that you can track, follow-up on, and accomplish! For these reasons I say DON’T set New Year’s resolutions at this time of year, but instead set them year round when you are ready!! Good luck and Happy 2010!