Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail (5 Tips To Succeed in 2023)
In a Business Insider article, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert stated that New Year’s resolutions fail because they aren’t specific enough. He also argues it’s because they’re too negatively worded and irrelevant to the individual.
One key to succeeding in your resolutions may lie in using the SMART goal strategy. It involves setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals.
Other strategies can be effective as well. Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind to help yourself achieve your resolutions in 2023.
- 22 New Year’s Resolutions For 2022 – Your Best Year Ever
- 22 New Year’s Resolutions for Couples in 2022
- Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Teens To Make in 2022
1. Be as specific as possible
Everybody sets a resolution to lose weight, exercise more, save more, etc. But how much do you want to save? In what timeframe do you want to lose weight?
Putting a number and a deadline to your goals helps you take your resolution seriously. Think of it as doing your homework and studying in preparation to pass a test.
You have to plan out the work and time you put in daily to get the result you want. Using the most common resolutions, here’s how you can make them more specific.
I’m going to save more in 2023: I’m going to try to save this amount every month. I will try to lower, cut, or limit an expense each week to help myself save more.
I plan to lose weight in 2023: My goal is to lose x amount of weight each month. I will cut down on fatty foods and exercise three times a week.
I’m going to read more in 2023: I will find one new book to read each month. I will read a few pages from that book every day and try to finish it by the end of the month.
Learn more about setting monthly goals. They can be a great way to help you achieve your resolutions.
2. Have a support system
Working to achieve something with a group is much easier than working to achieve something alone. Connect with people who share the same resolution as you.
As an example, you could meet up with an exercise group. The people who are also trying to lose weight can help encourage you when you feel like quitting. It can also be a positive experience that can help make working on your resolution less stressful and more fun.
3. Focus on your intrinsic rewards
We’re more likely to be motivated by intrinsic rewards than extrinsic ones. An extrinsic reward would be reaching a specific weight you want to be.
An intrinsic reward is wanting to feel better physically and mentally. It can also be wanting to prove to yourself that you can commit to something you want to achieve. Figure out a way to be intrinsically motivated to achieve your resolutions.
4. Believe you can achieve your resolution
Perhaps half the battle of not failing is believing that you can succeed. If you don’t think you can, then you probably won’t.
Choose to believe your skills and abilities can be improved through practice and effort. This belief is referred to as a growth mindset, which research has shown can work for helping people achieve more.
5. Break it down to small steps
Achieving a resolution can seem much less daunting when you think of it as achieving small steps. Put together specific actions to do to help yourself achieve your goal.
As you’re successful with each action, it can potentially build up your confidence along the way. You can be more inspired and motivated to make your resolution a success.
Final thoughts
Failing at your resolutions comes down to mostly psychology. Using the right tools to help yourself be consistent and stay motivated will make it more likely you’ll succeed. Keep these ideas in mind as you work to make 2023 your best year yet.