Are you wasting your time again with New Year resolutions?

It has to be one of the most pointless exercises that we indulge in. Like clockwork, many of us start the New Year with a bunch of resolutions. Unsurprisingly, by the end of January almost all of those resolutions have fallen by the wayside. Astonishingly, we don’t learn from this and repeat the process. Year after year! You may be one of the few that sustains the changes. Sadly, most don’t. So, is this you? Are you wasting your time again with New Year resolutions?

Interestingly, there are studies about the effectiveness of New Year’s resolutions. The universal conclusion is that for most of us they are a waste of time. Quickly abandoned, and suddenly the source of humour and jokes, we carry on regardless until the next time. And repeat.

Are you one of those who annually makes New Year resolutions? Are you someone who then annually fails to make changes? If so, I think there are a number of reasons for your lack of success.

Firstly, resolutions are often poorly planned at a time of year when everything is happening very differently. You may find yourself thinking about change in a haze of food and alcohol. Equally, Christmas may be going really badly and you find yourself wishing for better.

Secondly, New Year falls in that mixed up time which runs from mid-December to early January. Work patterns change. Time with friends and family is different. You may be one of those who saves up to make Christmas special. And it’s not just at home. Everywhere you go, there is a sense of celebration and festivity like no other time in the year. Weirdly, in the middle of all of this, you decide that this is the year when you make all of the changes.

Thirdly, because you’re making decisions on the spur of the moment, you find that you have no real plan. There is no defined end state. It all becomes a mix of vague ideas, promises, and aspirations.

Finally, because it is all so last minute, you fall into the enduring trap of talking about the future and what you’re going to do. It’s a vague future which is over there. Your unconscious mind, which is the goal-getter, has nothing to work on, so does nothing. Suddenly, it’s February and your dreams have wilted at best. At worst, they’re dead and gone. Until the next time.

Amazingly, there is a better way. It’s something that I talk about all of the time. Instead of talking about what you’re going to do, or will do, or may do, or…. Now is the time to consider 31^st December 2025 (yes, you’ve read that right) and all that you’ve done and achieved during the year. Crucially, now is the time to consider very precisely what you’ve achieved and done during the year. Project yourself to the end of the year and contemplate your achievements.

Initially, it seems a little odd. However, by doing this, you create two things. The first is a sense of excitement and motivation about what you’ve achieved. Secondly, you give your unconscious mind something to work with. By telling yourself, and by default, your unconscious mind, what you have at the end of the year, it suddenly has to do some work. It brings opportunities and options, routes to success, into your awareness. Consequentially, a roadmap appears, leading you to where you want to be.

If you know what to do, do it now. If you’re not sure, book an initial consultation here, and then take the next step. You know that it makes sense, and you know that you can do it, don’t you?