One Month In, How's Your Resolution?

Making New Year’s resolutions are easy. Keeping them, not so much. One month into 2017, the majority of people that made New Year’s resolutions have already fallen off the wagon and by the end of the year, under 10% people that made resolutions will end up being unsuccessful. Don’t believe me, Statistic Brain has done their research.

Only 72% of people make it through the first week of the new year with their resolutions still intact, with that number dropping to 68% through two weeks and 58% through one month. 9% of people make it a full year. Safe to say, more people fail than succeed but how can we stack the deck in our favor to be in the 9% by the end of the year?

Write your resolution down. No matter how serious you are about a resolution, it is easy to forget. Writing down goals gives you more accountability and increases your chances of actually accomplishing them. Keeping your goals in a journal, a note on your phone, posting them on your fridge or around your office work space will keep you serious about your goal.

Publicize your resolution. While writing down your goals holds you accountable, the accountability doesn’t reach the masses. That all changes if you let other people aware of your resolutions and goals. Tell your friends, share it on social media, let your coworkers know; that way, you’ll have multiple people keeping you on track throughout the year.

Baby steps. Most New Year’s resolutions revolve around health and fitness, from eating better to working out more than you did last year. While those goals may seem intimidating at first, there are small checkpoints along the way that are easy to hit. If your goal involves losing 20 pounds, focus on losing two pounds at a time instead and see for yourself how much easier it is. 

Get in a routine. Life is chaotic enough and when you add in resolutions and goals, it might be hard to juggle everything that is thrown at you in a given day. With a routine, life is a little less chaotic and achieving your goals becomes a little bit easier. Finding what kind of routine works for you may take time but once you do, you’ll be on your way to keeping your New Year’s resolution.  

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back out there. Sure, you might not have been able to keep your New Year’s resolution for the first month of 2017, or maybe even the first week, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying. Even if you haven’t been fully committed thus far, I know I haven’t, starting a new resolution at any time is better than giving up completely. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself as I start my February 1st resolution…