Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work
Do you know why New Year’s Resolutions don’t work? It’s not because people are lazy, or unmotivated, or uncommitted, or too hard on themselves. It’s because New Year’s Resolutions are based on a superstitious assumption…that people are more likely to change their lives simply because the calendar is changing. Self-Discipline is the bedrock of all personal achievement. And self-discipline starts with accepting that you and you alone are responsible for your life.
People who fail, or who procrastinate endlessly, almost always do so because they THINK outside circumstances have to line up for them before they can act. They plan to start their diet after the Holidays. They plan to start their new business once the kids are moved out of the house. They plan to start saving money when they finally get a raise at work. All of these excuses are based on the assumption that success depends on exterior circumstances more than interior motivation and discipline.
And we do the same thing when we set New Year’s Resolutions. We assume that a date on a calendar will magically make us more likely to succeed at our goals. Sure, your circumstances matter. But everyone who succeeds big does so for two reasons. First, when they have an idea to start on something, they start. They don’t wait for confirmation from anyone else or for some magical time window. They just adapt to whatever obstacles they must at the time.
Second, they don’t allow exterior circumstances to decide whether it’s the right time to act. When you think about it, New Year’s Resolutions are actually pretty damn superstitious. It’s not much better than believing that Friday the 13th is a day for bad luck. Enough of the nonsense. If you have a goal, and you want it bad enough, get started. You’ll do just fine no matter what time of year it is.
Goals and Progress
- December Income: $1,000 (December Goal $2,000).
- Bodyweight: 240.2lbs (Goal 185).
- Linkedin Connections: 8,869 (Goal 10,000).
