2021 is finally here, like everyone else, I am really hoping for a fresh new start.
Speaking of a fresh new start, when was the last time you made a New Year Resolution and kept it? For 2020, it is safe to say that most of the world's population that had resolutions did not go through with them, simply because 2020 had other plans for all of us.
However, thinking back to other years, can you think of resolutions that you kept? Probably not.
The end of year is usually taxing on all of us, from planning and budgeting at work, to holidays, friends, and family at home. We go into the new year burnt out. It naturally takes us a month or two to recover, and that is when we tend to fall off the New Year's Resolution wagon. We are also usually overly optimistic with the number and intensity of our goals going into the new year.
Scientifically speaking, it is said that it takes humans an average of 66 days to form a new habit, no wonder why resolutions do not work!
Making resolutions work involves changing behaviors—and to change a behavior, you must change your thinking. You go in wanting to lose weight, but if your narrative about yourself is that you will never look like your goal, or that you are too weak, you have given up on your goal long before you started.
I usually find going into the New Year with one goal at a time works best for me. I make sure that it is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based). I anticipate any issues that may arise, plan for them, and always plan my rewards as a form of encouragement to keep going.
Here is to hoping and wishing that 2021 will be better for all of us.
Sincerely,
Marwa Kaabour