Resolutions – your New Year’s life story!

Psssst! Just between you and us – how are you doing with those New Year’s resolutions you made? Since we’re only about a week into the New Year, maybe your answer is “So far so good.” We applaud you if that is the case. However, research shows that of the 40% to almost 80% of the people who make New Year’s resolutions, only about 4% to 8% are successful in being able to keep those resolutions for the whole year. In fact, most people give up on keeping their resolutions by mid-January! Not a good success rate. One unknown author humorously puts it this way, “A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”

We started wondering if there are any secrets in being able to improve our success rate in keeping our New Year’s resolutions. Evidently, we’re not the only ones who are thinking about this. When we Googled, “How to keep New Year’s Resolutions”, we found there were 210 million results! Seems like everybody and their dog has the ‘magic formula’ on how to be successful in keeping New Year’s resolutions.

There were the 7 Proven Steps…, 6 Quick Tips…, 10 Secrets…, you get the picture, on how to keep those New Year’s resolutions. At first, we felt overwhelmed just thinking about it. It made us want to make a resolution to “Never make a New Year’s Resolution” if the odds are so against us. However, after further reflection we realized how important making and keeping New Year’s resolutions can be to writing your life story. We’ll share a few ways to improve your odds of success.

1. Decide what resolution you want to make, and why it’s important to you. A resolution can be a firm decision to do, or not to do, something. Imagine if you were to be successful in keeping that resolution for a year, how would that positively impact your life? Conversely, if you didn’t keep that resolution for a year, how would that negatively impact your life? What feelings come up with each scenario? The stronger the reaction we have in our ‘gut’ when we ask that question, the more likely we will be in following through on that resolution.
2. When you have decided on a specific resolution, put it in writing. Just verbalizing your resolution invites certain failure. Your chances of success in keeping your resolution improve exponentially by putting it in writing. As you put it in writing, make the resolution specific and measurable. As the saying goes, “What gets measured, gets done.” Document your progress along the way.
3. Don’t go it alone. Find someone who will hold you accountable to keep your resolution. Research shows that having someone check in with you on a regular basis helps increase the success of you keeping your resolution. Even better if that person has a resolution like yours. That way you can keep each other accountable.
4. Reward yourself for your successes along the way, whether they be big or small. Keeping resolutions shouldn’t be all hard work and no fun! Plus, periodic small rewards as you go offer proof that your plan is working. It also adds motivation to keep the success going.
5. Be patient and forgiving of yourself. Even when you are very motivated to keep your resolution, life’s distractions can get in the way and get you off course. If that happens, and it probably will, remember the “why” of making the resolution in the first place and its importance to you. Then get back on track as soon as possible. Cavett Robert puts it this way, “Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.”

We found some other nuggets of wisdom, in the form of supportive quotes, when it comes to making, and keeping New Year’s resolutions. Here they are.

• “Instead of trying to change your life in January, the simpler strategy is to adopt a 12-month plan where you’re making constant improvement.” S.J. Scott, author of Resolutions that Stick.
• “One resolution I have made, and try to always keep, is this: To rise above the little things.” John Burroughs.
• “Life is about change, sometimes its painful, sometimes its beautiful, but most of the time its both.” Kristin Kreuk.

What about you? Will you be making any New Year’s resolutions this year? If so, consider some of the suggestions we made. Also, remember the words of Alex Merritt, “New Year – a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours.”

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2023 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.