Why I hate New Year Resolutions

I do, I despise New Year Resolutions.  Every time someone asks me what my New year Resolutions (NYR) will be I cringe.  I don’t make them.  I don’t think I have ever made a New Year Resolution, ever.

You see, NYR have no substance behind them.  They’re generally not thought about beforehand and no planning is put into the actual work required to achieve them.  Statistically very few are continued past the first week or two of January.  So making a NYR and then not continuing it is setting your mind up for failure, which it remembers next next time you make a NYR which makes it even more likely to fail again!  Talk about a hopeless downward spiral!

I make goals intentions through the year.  Normally, by the time 31 December and 1 January come around I’m well on my way to having most of the year planned out, business wise at least.  And some personal stuff too.  There’s no point in waiting for 1 January to plan your year, it needs to be well thought out beforehand so you have a plan of action ready for 1 January.

I was a bit late doing this in 2008 I admit.  It was mid December before I really got stuck into planning 2009.  I did have a few good excuses, a full time contract job (thankfully finished), night school (continuing until the end of 2011), a husband deployed to the Middle East (four months left).  The point is that I’m really feeling behind the eight ball now.  I have a rough plan for the year, however instead of being able to dig into it and get going, I’m still finalising a lot of details.  Imagine if I’d left it until now to even begin the planning?

Anyway, back to NYR.  The main reason I don’t like them is because they are proven to not work.  And so many people end up disappointed that they didn’t keep them, and that makes it harder for them to decide to set those goals again and work towards them.  NYR seem to set people up for failure, instead of empowering them to succeed.  And that’s what really annoys me.