Why I Have No New Year's Resolution

Do you have a New Year’s resolution?    It’s not surprising to me that only 8% of people are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolutions*.  Waiting for a New Year can be a way of procrastinating.  The focus is placed on the calendar instead of the end result you wish to achieve.  If what you are trying to achieve is really important to you, then why not start right away?  Instead of putting things off into the future, find the right motivation (other than January 1st) to get started.  Time management plays an important role in meeting your objectives.    Depending on what your objectives are, it may be more complicated and require detailed planning.  Getting started may mean to begin working on the actual plan that will be executed later.  

Although it is important to set milestones and specific dates to reassess yourself and plan for the future, I don’t believe New Year resolutions are the case and are taken as seriously as they could be.  

My Top 5 Reasons Why Resolutions Don't Work

1- Do not focus on core issue: Most resolutions try to fix the consecuences of an underlying problem instead of fixing it's root cause.

2- No specific deadline for completion: Failure to set a due date is an early sign of failure. Without a date, you will never be able to measure your progress successfully. How many times you've heard the expression "There will always be next year"?

3- Lack of motivation: New Year resolutions are usually motivated by the melancholy brought by the passage of another year. People see their lives go by and wish to make up for lost time. As they settle into the new year, people get busy again and feel less interested, motivated and committed to their resolutions.

4- Vagueness: Resolutions are usually not well-defined and thought out.

5- Not realistic: Some resolutions are just wishful thinking. Many resolutions are common but that doesn't mean that all resolutions are achievable by everybody.  

My New Year’s resolution is not to have New Year’s resolutions.  I rather set quarterly objectives and evaluate them accordingly.

Top 10 New Years resolutions for 2012 according to Statistic Brain*

1. Lose Weight
2. Getting Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Staying Fit and Healthy
6. Learn Something Exciting
7. Quit Smoking
8. Help Others in Their Dreams
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend More Time with Family

* According to Statistics Brain

This article previously appeared on HaonTech.com