With this year quickly coming to an end, the question you may be asked often is, “What is your New Year’s resolution?” Years ago I swore off making these promises. They seemed to be a joke. Things people promised in one breath and forgot about in the next. But now I’ve had a change of heart. I don’t believe my problem was with making resolutions, but with the types of resolutions I was making. Watch out for these pitfalls or you’ll find yourself like the thousands of others who fail before the month of January is even over.

  1. 365 days of promises: This plan can make the simplest resolution feel like you’ve promise to climb Mt. Everest backwards. Anytime your goal feels like a job or chore your chances of success decreases. So, for example, instead of saying that you’ll read a new book every day (though it’s possible) say you’ll read a new book every month. That way when the unexpected happens you can roll with the punches and still have a good chance of achieving your goal.
  2. Mission Impossible: Yes, many of us want to travel the world, but if you’re not coming into a small fortune then a year may not be effect time to accomplish this one. The timeline we give ourselves (yes even a year) may be more unrealistic than the goal itself. Now, that doesn’t mean you should give up on that BIG dream of yours, but you may want to clarify be stating that you have a 5 year plan. And as long as you are working towards that goal each year then you can count it as a success.
  3. Always Changing: I have been guilty of this one. This resolution may be the one you really want to achieve, but you start second guessing yourself. You alter the wording of your goal or the focus some much so that you can’t track your progress. You undermine your abilities by changing your objective thinking that you’re making it easier for yourself. The point is to challenge yourself (reasonably) and keep your eyes on the prize. So set a clear goal and do your best to stick to it.
  4. Uninspired: If your new year’s resolution is to keep a journal, but you HATE to write then I have to ask you, why? Don’t set a goal that is popular with others, or one that truly isn’t going to benefit you. If you don’t care about the goal then, you won’t care when you don’t achieve it. Now, if there is something that you actually hate/fear to do, but have to overcome then get creative. Find ways to make it a less painful experience. And if possible find others who are trying to do the same thing. Having a group of people holding you accountable and encouraging you will have a positive and lasting effect.

So when that clock strikes midnight, celebrate! It’s another year you’ve been giving to chase that dream, or challenge yourself. To go on a new adventure or enjoy the simple things in life. Or just to be a better person than you were the year before. So no matter what your resolution is; succeed or fail, the important thing is that you tried. And a person who tries is never a failure.

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