TOPIC: Have you ever wondered why we don’t keep our promises to ourselves?

“This year, I will go to the gym more.”

“This year, I will read more books.”

“This year, I will quit my job and start my own business.”

Sounds familiar? What do they all have in common? They are New Year’s resolutions that, more often than not, are forgotten by the end of January.

Have you ever wondered why we don’t keep our promises to ourselves? I noticed a pattern in my attitude toward the intentions for the year to come, so I thought of seven different reasons why we fail.

What versus why - Most people know what they want to do, but they don’t know why they want to do it. For example, I know I want to go to the gym, but why do I want to do this? Because I want to lose weight, right? But why do I want to lose weight? See where I’m going with this? First and foremost, find your why behind your intentions and you will keep your promises even when things get rough.

Turning marathons into sprints – We get so excited about our plans, that we forget they are meant for an entire year. We try to accomplish everything as fast as we can, but at some point, it gets tiring and we give up. Instead, we can pace ourselves and gradually achieve our goals throughout the year.

Trying too hard – I’m sure you can relate to this one. How many times have you pushed your limits right from the beginning, and got the wrong idea of, “I’m not good at this. It’s too hard for me!” and then quit the next day? Don’t try too hard at once, just take your time and make it right!

Hitting the gas pedal too much – We live in a fast-paced world and in order to keep up, we run from one place to another and we try to do as much as we can in one day and we forget to do the things we love because “There’s too much to do!” Speeding through life doesn’t get you farther than slowing down and taking care of the things you need for yourself. Be intentional with your time and set aside a few hours a day for your hopes and dreams.

Low self-confidence – One reason why many of our New Year’s resolutions fail is because we don’t believe enough in ourselves. We sprint, we try too hard, we hurry too much, and we notice we can’t do it. So we give up. Have a little faith in yourself! You can do everything you set yourself up to, so just do it, one step at a time.

The lack of social support – Your nearest and dearest can turn into your biggest critics, and you, of course, will believe everything they say because you value their opinion. So, find the people that are supportive, and nurture those relationships, and you will see the impact they can have on your resolutions.

Thinking too much, instead of acting - Most people love or feel the need to plan endlessly. They need everything to be perfect before taking a leap. But there’s never enough planning, right? Let me tell you something: if you have your well-defined why and you take your time to take baby steps toward your goals, then acting on an idea will come naturally to you.

Do you have other ideas on why our New Year’s Resolutions fail? How can we counteract them? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!