New Year, Nothing New: The reason why New Years Resolutions never stick!

Happy New Year To You!

So, it's a new year and all of us are fortunate to be still alive and (hopefully) healthy in 2025. The new year brings with it the hope of a fresh start and a do-over where you might finally achieve your dreams or be bold enough to pursue your desires with vigor and steam. But, we overlook the very foundation that it takes to get this new start. It takes more than the turning of the clock and the change from 2024 to 2025 to become a better person with improved goals and habits. I used to fall into this trap year after year; by June I was fatigued and frustrated, wondering why other people around me were getting ahead and why I seemed to be stuck in the same position. When you identify the mistakes you're making, it is easier to correct course and steer yourself in the right direction. Below, I will outline for you the mistakes you're making and the easy, simple steps it takes to re-direct your efforts and mould yourself in a more effective way. Within 6 months you will see the difference and realise you are now on the right path to chase your dreams and achieve everything you have ever wanted!

Photo by Volker Meyer: https://www.pexels.com/photo/new-year-s-eve-celebration-with-sparklers-at-night-30150040/

Don't Neglect the Long-Term

Setting new goals in the new year is tempting, but what about last year's goals? Also, where do these new goals fit into your long-term plan? Do you have a long-term strategy? If you are setting completely new goals every new year then that is what you are doing wrong. Instead of changing your goals in the new year, draft a long-term 5-10-year plan then work backward to figure out what you would need to achieve in years 1, 2, 3 etc. That will be a better guide for your goal-setting ventures. It also becomes easier to see if you're progressing when you know where you are going. Imagine saying you are going to Spain and then getting on a flight to India, you will be going in the wrong direction. Your long-term goals serve as a strong guide to what you should set out to do every new year and compound your efforts. With a long-term plan you can review your yearly objectives every January and see what your year will look like, in the context of your long-term plan.

Classify Your Goals

Jotting down things that you want to achieve is a good habit to develop but it doesn't end there. A step we often don't complete is categorizing the things we want to achieve into short, middle, and long-term goals. The category you put your goal into will decide the kind of effort you need to put into it. There is urgency in short-term goals as the deadline is coming up quicker. The cheatcode however is realizing that your short and middle-term goals are automatically created once you define what your long-term goals are. An effective way to craft your goals is to first outline 2 or 3 long-term goals. Once you have your long-term objectives defined, you will then break them down into actionable steps. Those steps then become your middle-term/yearly goals. If you break these middle-term/yearly steps down even further, you will now have your short-term goals (which could be classified into monthly and even weekly objectives). It all depends on how detailed you want to get. The more detailed the better but don't get too caught up on the nitty gritty specifics; make a plan and try to stick to it.

Don't Follow the Hype

Sometimes trends dominate the wellness world. One year it was intermittent fasting, another year it was sound healing meditations and recently taking care of your gut health was hyped as the answer to regulating emotions and wellness. You can get caught up in something because it is all the rage presently but you haven't yet scrutinized if it is a good fit for you. Whatever you want to change about your life should be authentic and relevant to you. Explore options for your transformation that are conducive to your life. There is no harm in trying new things but don't be compelled to jump on the bandwagon just because everyone else is. I tried to be vegetarian on multiple occasions for my 'health' but I just couldn't do it because I love and enjoy eating meat. Not to mention, I live in a culture that slaughters a goat or cow (sometimes both) on every occasion, from weddings to funerals you name it, an animal is slaughtered. My heart was in the right place but the implementation was not practical as I could not afford vegetarian options. Had I simply investigated other healthy weight-controlling habits like fasting, or using good fats to cook food like olive oil, I would have never gone down the vegetarian path as it is not practical for me. Do only what works for you, your budget and your life. You can research a trend but don't be compelled to implement fads that do not fit into your lifestyle or circumstances.

Photo by Polina Kovaleva: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-notebook-on-the-table-5717414/

Things To Start Doing

You might be wondering what the way forward is for you to maximise your efforts for the years to come:

1. Get a pen and paper to write down your plans. I would advise that you get a journal so you can keep all your planning and goal-setting in one place.
2. Reflect on your desires and aspirations and decide on 1-3 long-term (5 years to start) goals. You can divide this into your career goals and personal desires.
3. When you have your long-term goals divide them into yearly objectives. Then divide your yearly objectives into quarterly or monthly tasks/actions.
4. Track your goals by having weekly reviews on what you did to get yourself closer to your dreams.

By implementing this basic structure on how you will start each year, you won't need to craft unrealistic New Year resolutions. Now you can have productive years and shorten the time it will take to reach your dream life. Let me know if this helps you in any way.

With love and a little pinch of crazy

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