One of the biggest impediments to our growth of ourselves is we, ourselves. This fact cannot be more true. The implication of it is quite huge, lack of motivation in the work that we do, relationship failures, no proper time arrangements for activities outside of work, etc. One of the areas in which this aspect of ours is stark and on the whole the truth gets spilled out is the New Year Resolution stuff or ritual whatever one may call it. Moving towards a proper goal, with motivation, and trying to make life meaningful are all very worthy tasks and often are forgotten or are not given enough attention as they should be. The failure then is ours, when the goals are properly stated, and the aspirations written down clearly, but the eternal problem of implementation and realization of that understanding we have had for ourselves is nonetheless absent. The urgency of making that truth part of our lives whether it is a New Year or a new month or a new week is not there and we are to be blamed. In this blog, we will delve today into the reasons why most people don’t adhere to the New Year resolutions they so wilfully make and those who do most often implement it shoddily or there is certainly a less impressive streak in their routine. On the way, we will touch upon the vital questions of life about motivation, goals, aspirations, and desires to provide a sumptuous and compelling reading.
- No replacement of the habits previously performed- The general character of a person demands practice and repeating the task in order to gain proficiency. Most people enunciate their goals, maybe change it hastily without filling in for the previous rewarding habit. A New York Post article stresses on just that. It says ” Often many people don’t account for the fact that a habit cannot be eradicated but must be replaced with another habit”. Constant attention has to be then paid to the nuances of our resetting. Things have to be put in place, habits have to be developed in lieu of the goals and aspirations we have and accordingly religiously followed.
- Lack of accountability- The impetus on not performing the task, or on completing it unfortunately is non-existent. We don’t have to be accountable to anybody while we lay down our resolutions. In the office there is the boss, in the school the teacher or the results but who’s there for us when someone makes a promise to lose weight, or to wake up early or put down some exercises in the daily routine, there simply doesn’t exist any sort of responsibility unless there is a sword hanging over us which unfortunately is very pathetic. Responsibility to the self in this case may help us. Everything, every thought, idea, promise or truth is dependent on one thing and one alone that is our intentions, the right intentions properly put have to be there if completion of a goal is sought.
- Vague nature of our goals- Most of the resolutions lack clarity and often fall short of detail. The goals have to be clear if they are to be carried forward or else as happens with every thing they will languish in the constraints of our mind forever. Time-oriented tasks for example preparation for a forthcoming exam or maybe coveting the company of your choice or meeting certain project deadlines the details must be laid out, studied astutely and only then be moved forward with. If it is not time oriented for example if it moves towards improving relationship then the happiness and mutual freedom be estimated in various stages, certain subjective parameters such as love and friendship could also be made way with, this can provide the blueprint as well as a living sample for a “moving process” in which time does not participate. Clarity and singleness of purpose are compulsory prerequisites for any of the resolutions one intends to grapple with.
- Setting unrealistic goals- It is critical to add here that stating goals which are way beyond the capabilities of an individual does not bear well with a nice resolution. The idiom ‘Rome was not built in a day’ suits it perfectly. Small steps in the right direction be taken, capability would be enhanced and in the future bigger goals and challenges could be dealt with but we must stand on reason when we initiate into the task and must not fool ourselves by gloating on gargantuan goals, so far away from us that it would take eternity to reach the place. On the way it will happen that the goals seeming unrealistic at the starting may start appearing achievable for the challenges would and should fashion the spirit in mightier ways.
- No proper tracking- Loss of zeal and involvement in one’s tasks are cited as important causes leading one to abandon the pursuit of their goals. In the process, one vitally recedes the attention he or she pays which then hampers the pursuit altogether. Too many assumptions, inferences, judgments, overthinking, and previous points of reference (which should have changed by now in accordance with the new goals) constantly impede the tracking of the result and so a fair review cannot in any way be done.
- Lack of Planning- Human desire is a weakling if it is not properly sorted, put in accordance, prioritized, or manipulated as the situation or the goal demands. The resolutions must be broken down into small pieces, understood maybe through a mental model, and then properly scheduled. Weekly objectives and plans that are bite-sized could be very helpful. Necessary adjustments for example some important event or some emergency, certain plans could be altered but the basic part must not be done away with.
- Self-doubt- A lack of self-worth shows up in the work someone does. Does the person burn with passion for the work or does he shy away perpetually and tries to evade it, the depth and nature of the work find expression in the person and vice versa. The character of a person and the work are not in any way separate, they are complementary on the whole. Lack of self-worth and self-belief leads to sloppy results or a mediocre existence as most people unfortunately commonly lead. The grievances and doubts must be answered and done away with in the initial phase itself or it would haunt continuously which then could lead to dead ends. Previous failures and the memory of the non-completion of the earlier resolutions and goals must also be totally forgotten and done away with except if they help us presently.
So we presented a number of reasons for why we don’t take our New Year Resolutions seriously, talked about the various fault lines in their structures and in ours too, additionally the ways to get out of those problems were also inherent in the above-enunciated points. Now the onus is on us of how after understanding and realising the source of our many failures and personal grievance, see and thus deal with the problem in its entirety, for it is not that we are dealing with an outside problem or force, it is in fact in the guise of the many desires and challenges and goals we truly are confronting ourselves, in other words, we are at odds with ourselves and this battle is such that it must be fought.