What is Wrong with New Year’s Resolutions (and how to make them better)

In the quietness of the lull after the Christmas frenzy, many of us finally have the time to reflect on how the last year has been. We are bombarded by the media on hastily put together countdowns on the big events of the year that was, so it is natural to look upon the New Year as a time for a fresh start. To wipe the slate clean and get our physical or metaphorical house in order. 

But I’m going out in a limb today. New Year’s Resolutions, in my humble opinion, are a well-intended but flawed tradition.  Here’s what I believe is (usually) wrong with New Year’s Resolutions.

If it is important enough to change, you shouldn’t wait until the New Year to change it! If you have had the idea to change things up and set new goals back in June, you don’t need to wait 6 months to start. Even early in the year (mid January) it is not too late to set a Resolution. Waiting another 11 and a half months until the next New Year sounds like a reason to procrastinate and lose motivation. It’s better to start TODAY than wait until next year. Besides, New Year’s Day is a terrible time to start a change. You are tired from staying up late, we’ve just got over the Christmas kerfuffle.  Will power is down. It sounds much nicer to have a nap on the couch than start a new and difficult change. And we know it is a new and challenging thing or you would have already done it months ago.

New Year’s only happens once a year. Funny that. But it IS a one-off event. Many people who “do” new year’s resolutions are only motivated when it still feels like the new year. But what about in February when you are back at work and school and the daily drudgery has kicked in again? Hmm? Huh?? Rather than making a New Year’s Resolution, why not make a New YOU Resolution that just happens to begin in the New Year? Sure, use this time to set some new goals for yourself, but consider making them an Improved “Your name” Resolution that belongs to YOU instead of belonging to the New Year.

New Year resolutions tend to be vague and negative and therefore destined to fail.  “I’m not going to do stuff anymore.” “I’m going to be a bit better.”  If my years working in a corporate environment and attending planning sessions and conferences taught me anything, it was about SMART goal setting; it was covered every time and while it got rather repetitive, it eventually sunk in. It does have merit. You might have heard it before; goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely). Making your goals to the SMART principle really does make a difference to reaching them. “I’m not going to lose a race” doesn’t have the same ring or power to it as “I am going to be 7 seconds faster within 6 months so I can beat Fred who is 3 seconds faster than me and win the race on 15th March”. If you need more help with SMART goals, the internet is full of the details to coach you through.

Worse than vague, they are too big! “I am going to fit into my teeny tiny 6 sizes smaller jeans again” sounds really lovely, but where do you start? There are probably quite a few little steps to make first.  Set your big goal, but have a plan for in the meantime and work on your mini goals to get there. Focus on the small things you need to do to achieve your goal. If you are going to be fit enough to run a marathon, perhaps you need a training and recovery plan. If you are training intensively, you will need to plan the time to train and make sure you feed your body appropriate food and liquids. Booking a massage will help you get back to training faster and with fewer aches and pains. Stretching afterwards is also incredibly beneficial for muscle recovery.

Finally, most New Year Resolutions don’t have a plan for maintaining your achievement. Often our goals made in the new year have to do with finances, health, fitness and weight-loss. Once you fit into your teeny tiny jeans again or once you can run 10 kms really fast, what are you going to do then? Are you going to then run every week? Day? Month? Are you going to reward yourself or stop altogether? Once you have given up smoking for a month, you can reward yourself with the money you have saved. If you don’t have a plan you are at higher risk of falling into your old habits again. Make a plan for your long-term goal and give yourself the opportunity to review and alter your plan down the track.

Hey, if you can smash out a New Year’s Resolution and also maintain it, good for you! I mean that. You should be very proud of your staying prowess.

But for the rest of us mere mortals I recommend start when you first get the idea.  Don’t put it off. Yes, New Year’s Day is a time when the shops are closed and you have a day you can think about where you are and where you would like to be. But you can do that any time of the year. If you are going to set a goal, make it real. Something you can actually see. Make it something you actually want. There’s no good setting a goal to do something your neighbour wants but you, in fact, couldn’t actually think of anything worse. And make it positive – think about what you are gaining not what you are losing. Gaining things from an Improved You Resolution is so much more fun than missing out on something for the coming year.

Wishing you a fabulous year to come!