In 1988, the University of Scranton held a study that stated that 77% of people who made a New Year's resolution only stuck to it for one week, and that 19% of people who made a New Year's resolutions and stuck to it, were successful at completing them within 2 years.
According to a later survey done in 2018 by Statista, only 4% of people stuck to their resolutions in the first year. The reason our resolutions are so difficult to stick to is that we are often very hard on ourselves and give ourselves goals that are simply unattainable and unrealistic, and once we slip up, we despair and revert to old patterns.
But, just because a huge number of people fail, all is not lost. There’s still plenty of time to turn this around. Start by not overwhelming yourself and set small attainable goals that, in turn, can lead to bigger ones. We are known to be incredibly hard on ourselves. So often we focus on the negatives, on all of the things that have gone wrong, that we lose sight of the positives and on what has gone right, that it automatically makes us quit.
A great way you can turn this around is to approach it one day at a time and reward yourself for each day you stick to your resolution. This can be a great motivation and help to keep you from failing. It’s a very good idea to make resolutions that are positive, like taking on a new hobby, rather than a negative resolution to stop something like drinking, as it puts us in a positive mindset.
Another productive way to help you stay on track is to find a friend who is also planning on setting the same goal/resolution and do it together. It’s amazing how having someone with you can keep you motivated, and it’s a lot harder to slip us when you’re accountable to someone else. If you feel yourself slipping, they can help you get back on the right path. It’s also a great idea to let people know what your resolutions are, either by posting on Facebook, Instagram, or even on a WhatsApp group. By not keeping your resolutions to yourself, and sharing your achievements with others, it’s a great incentive to keep going and stay on track.
If you’ve already given up your resolutions, don’t despair. It doesn’t mean that you can't restart them just because January 1st has come and gone. It is never too late to make an attempt to better yourself.
There are many different tools and options out there to help you get back on track, and below are just a handful of them:
1. Get Fit, Lose Weight, and Eat Healthier
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Losing weight and eating healthier food is one of the top resolutions made each year. It can be made lots easier by choosing one of the best weight loss plans out there to help you. There are many different apps out there, but Noom is one of the most popular and can be downloaded on both the Android and iOS operating systems.
2. Kickstart Your Love Life
You said you wanted to get back out on the dating scene, but still haven’t made a start? A great first step is to sign up for one of the best dating sites or apps and start swiping. One of the most well-known apps out there is Tinder, but you can look around and find the best one for you.
3. Make Better Financial Decisions
Now is a great time to ensure you stick to your financial New Year’s resolutions and get your money in order. You can think smart and rework your finances with the help of the top finance apps.
4. Learn a New Language
Many of us want to improve ourselves by broadening our horizons and learning a new language. There’s really no better time than now, and it couldn’t be simpler as there are so many apps out there to help you. Take a look at some of the top language learning apps and see which works best for you.
5. Become More Organized
A common resolution is to become more organized, get our life back on track, and be more in control. The best way of doing this is with a to-do list app to help. There are a number of top to-do list tools out there to keep you organized, you but you need to choose the right one for your needs.
6. Travel
How often has the new year come around, and you’ve mentioned that this year you want to experience new cultures and travel somewhere you’ve never been before? There are plenty of travel sites and apps out there that can help you make a decision. Check out some of the top travel sites and travel apps to find the best place for you.
7. Read More
Reading is a great pastime. It lets us escape into new worlds and can educate us at the same time. And as we age, it helps keep our mind active. So, it’s definitely a great time to set yourself that resolution to read more and stick to it, whether you read a kindle or an actual book. Goodreads is a great website to check out, and they also have a fantastic app.
8. Find a New Job/Career Change
The new year is a time when we reflect on where we’re going in our career and if the job we’re in is the one we want to still be at this time next year. If you’re considering looking for a new job, check out some top job posting sites. And if you’re looking to advance or change your career path, consider learning a few new tricks.
9. Stay Connected With Your Friends and Family
Sometimes life gets the best of us, and we don’t even remember the last time we saw or spoke to our close family members or friends. Two great ways of staying connected are through WhatsApp and Facebook. With WhatsApp, we can chat and make arrangements to get together, while Facebook can be used to keep up to date on what everyone is up to and even give you the option for interaction, even if you’re too busy for a meeting or real conversation.
10. Learn a Musical Instrument
You’ve wanted for so long to learn how to play an instrument, be it the ukulele, the guitar, or even the piano. What has likely stopped you from doing that is the high cost of lessons. You can now learn an instrument from the comfort of your own home with online tutorials on YouTube. You can also find apps online for whichever instrument you want to learn.
What’s Next?
New Year's resolutions are not going to suddenly be achieved overnight, but doing something small every day can make a big difference. Whatever resolutions you may have made and either stuck to or let fall by the wayside, everything helps to mold you. Remember that if you got down because you realized you set yourself a resolution that was too unattainable, you could learn from that. You can then reassess and change your goal to something more achievable.
It’s important to learn from the bad choices that we’ve made in order to make better decisions in the future. Be patient with yourself, and if you slip up, don’t beat yourself up about it. You can always start again tomorrow and take it one day at a time.
