A staggering number of people repeat the same New Year’s resolutions year after year; not because they enjoy the results but because they fail to achieve any. It’s become an issue to the extent that this turns into viral memes every year around December. 

Something like this:

Or this:

And a favourite:

As much as it is fun to take it easy, the disappointment behind these memes is impossible to ignore. We start every new year in high spirits only to fall flat on the very next day. Why does it happen, though?

Many reasons.

• Giving in to distractions
• Keeping unrealistic expectations
• Losing the motivation to power through
• Imbalance between mental planning and actual work
• Failing to tailor plans to your situations, habits, and preferences

Apart from these, another biggest mistake we make is “turning commas into full stops.” When we hit a small pause, many of us tend to drag it until we finally give up. 

Imagine your New Year’s resolution is to go to the gym every day. Tiny bumps are common in every journey, so you will (for sure) have to skip a day at some point. At this juncture, if you tell yourself “What’s one more day?” and drag that tiny pause, you are bound to lose your motivation. 

So, how do we avoid these pitfalls and emerge as winners in 2024? Here’s a list of tools and techniques you might find helpful:

1. Don’t Repeat Goals

Partly why we give up on our resolutions is because we feel, at the back of our minds, we can restart next year even if we fail. It’s like a safety net. We feel we have unlimited chances to try, so we relax more than necessary. This becomes a hurdle for your goal. Remove this safety net and create a sense of urgency—now or never. It will break you free from the vicious cycle of repeating the same New Year’s resolutions. 

2. Don’t Wait for the Right Moment

It’s okay even if you start working on your goals a few days before the new year. No rule says that it only counts when you begin on Jan 1st. So, get an early start. It will take some pressure off while keeping you motivated. Even if the routine breaks after a few days in, get back on track right away. Don’t drag the pause until next year. Consider Feb 20th or Mar 1st as another new year if you have to. You are building a habit, and consistency is the key to it. 

3. Limit the Number of Resolutions

Have 5 or 10 New Year’s resolutions for the year 2024? Don’t. Beginning a year with such high pressure is never a good idea. The higher the goals, the more diluted your motivation will be. Instead, consider focusing on one to two, or three goals at the maximum. This makes your focus razor-sharp! 

4. Learn About Your Goal

If you want to get fitter in 2024, you can do a lot of things. But the question is, what suits you and your body? So, you must gather as much information as you can about fitness, gym routines, healthy diet, etc. You might as well consider taking a professional’s assistance. Like so, you can start working on any goal by learning about them first. Knowledge gives power, and that power will drive you towards your desired change. 

5. Plan, Execute, and Modify

After your research, it’s time to make a plan. It has to be detailed enough to make you stick with your goal, while also being flexible enough to not suffocate you. You have to hit that fine balance to make it work. 

Your golden rule: “Keep it minimal at first and then build it gradually.”

Then, you follow the plan and see how it works. If something doesn’t work, alter the plan accordingly and try again. This back-and-forth approach can keep you motivated for a long time. 

6. Fuel Your Motivation with Tools

Virtual or physical, we can use a diverse number of tools to keep ourselves motivated. My favourite is a journal/planner. I can’t describe how much a notebook and a pen can do for your goals. Simply write what you’ve done every day for your goal in it; it can even be just one line. If you are a tech person, you can use many apps and software.

One advice, however, is to not go big and grand with these choices. Keep it simple and if necessary, build it up later. Some easy-to-use virtual tools are Evernote and Google Calendar. But personally, I’d try to stay away from virtual ones as you never know when you’ll swipe and open Instagram. 

Final Message:

I hope you win your New Year’s resolutions with grit and determination. 

Finally, community support is equally important for anyone to achieve their New Year’s resolutions, so I’d like to invite you to join our inner circle or subscribe to our newsletter and enjoy the spirit of being part of a loving community. We have also planned many events in the coming year.

Looking forward to seeing you inside our group!