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How to get back on track if you’ve already broken your New Year’s Resolution
We’re here to rescue you from the brink if you feel as though you’re losing sight of your New Year’s resolution.
We’re now officially three-quarters of the way through the longest month of the year. It’s cold, you’ve likely not been paid for weeks, and whatever positive change you endeavored to make at the start of the year probably sounds like the single least attractive option in the world right now. But if you’ve dropped the ball, or feel like your New Year’s resolution is starting to slip out of reach, do not fret; it’s definitely not too late.
You’re not the only one who might be failing your New Year’s resolution
According to reports, saving money is the highest item on the list of New Year’s resolutions made by people in the US for 2024, with 59% of Americans vowing to be increasingly frugal as we head into the mid-2020s.
Next up is exercising more, followed by eating healthier, spending more time with family and friends and losing weight.
Yet, data from 2022 reveals that, by February 2, one-third of Americans who set out to achieve a New Year’s resolution had already failed, meaning there’s a good chance a large number of people striving to make positive changes have already dropped the ball.
If this is the scenario you find yourself in with 11 months of 2024 still to go, try your best not to beat yourself up, as there are a number of reasons why this may have happened – and there are potential solutions to help get you back on track too.
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Why you might be failing your New Year’s resolution
Whether you’re gunning for a promotion at work or trying to get up at 5am and go on a run in the dark, there are a multitude of reasons why your big plan for the year may not be going as smoothly as you thought it would be by now.
With as much as 80% of resolutions said to ultimately end in failure, a report from Forbes indicates that there are three main reasons why you may not be struggling to adapt to your new goals:
- 1. A change in attitude is required – The first potential problem posed by Forbes is that people may be attempting to alter their behavior(s), without first altering their mindset. Rather than simply saying you’re going to start going to the gym in 2024, you must actually want to do it and convince yourself of the benefits of doing so. Otherwise you are virtually bound to give up at some point.
- 2. A lack of accountability – If you’ve kept your resolution to yourself because you’re scared people will judge you if you fail, that could be where you’re going wrong. By trusting those close around you with the knowledge of the goal(s) you are working towards, the people you value in your life can help keep you motivated by checking in on your goals and making sure that things are going according to plan.
- 3. Fear – Finally, you may actually be scared of what may happen if you do achieve your goal. Sometimes people can set themselves rather daunting aims for the year and, after a few weeks, you may find that it’s easier to revert back to your past self. But remember, you wanted this to happen at some point in your life, so don’t let your fears stop you from doing what you ultimately believe will be best for you.
TikTok suggests a hack for sticking to your New Year’s resolution
According to lifestyle TikToker Dr. Sam, the key to success is all down to gratitude.
Sam says that if you’re aiming to go to the gym, for example, try both starting and ending your day by expressing the gratitude you feel about what the gym brings you.
Expressing your gratitude means to quite literally speak out loud the things you are thankful for, i.e. stating that you are “Grateful for all the stairs you climbed on the stairmaster”, or “grateful for the number of miles you put on the treadmill”.
By doing this, Sam explains, you can start to visualize what it would look like to build and develop your goals, and you will start to feel thankful for the positive effects your resolutions have started to have on your life.
