Resolution Intentionality
New Year’s resolutions. We always make them with the best intentions in the name of growth in the new year. And generally our intentions behind our resolutions are pretty solid ideas that we would benefit from working on. “I’d like to start working out more regularly” “I want to save money for a house this year.” “I’m going to start spending more time with friends and family.” All of these sound great right? So then why do new year’s resolutions typically crash and burn before February?
One reason new year’s resolutions don’t always stick is because intentions are set too high. Want to start working out more? Don’t tell yourself you’ll work out for an hour every day. Give yourself a more reasonable structure to your workouts that you can add to if you’d like. A more reasonable workout resolution might be sticking to working out 30 minutes per day 3 days per week. What about saving more money for that house? Make sure your monthly savings goal is realistic for your income, budget, and lifestyle. Don’t set yourself up for failure at the beginning of the year by making a goal for yourself that is impossible to attain.
Another reason new year’s resolutions fail is because they’re not always structured around people’s actual values. Want to learn an artistic skill this year, but don’t value creativity? You probably won’t stick to developing that particular skill. Alternatively, pick something else that aligns with your particular values. For instance, if you don’t value creativity, but instead value inner peace, resolving to include more self care into your weekly routine will probably be more successful than learning that new artistic skill.
Lastly, new year’s resolutions will sometimes fail because people do not always get back into their new routine once they’ve broken it. New habits take a lot of time and practice to develop and require diligence. It’s okay to come off of your resolution sometimes. Things happen. But as soon as you can get back on track, go ahead and do so. Don’t wait until a time too far in the future or you'll have trouble getting back into your new habit.
Remember, new year’s resolutions first and foremost are all about personal growth. Should you decide to create a resolution for yourself, make sure it aligns with specific areas that you truly want to grow in and be intentional about how you set and follow your resolutions. Good luck and have a happy and healthy new year!
