The idea of new year’s resolutions is nice. I really think it is. It’s the perfect chance to start over, refresh and begin anew with a new year, new goals and a new you.

Failure Just Waiting to Happen

However, if you read the stats on new year’s resolutions, unfortunately, those that stick with their vows beyond a few weeks are a rare bunch. I feel like making resolutions is a setup for failure. You try to make these significant life-changing decisions on a dime, one specific day of the year without any preparation and then let’s be honest, human nature takes over, and we fall back into old habits.

The Lie You Tell Yourself

A friend of mine who goes to AA says that during the first two weeks of January the meetings are mobbed with new people. Then of course as many of the newcomers go back to drinking, the numbers fall back again. This example illustrates what I am trying to say. Making deep and lasting changes in your life isn’t something you can do on a whim, just because you feel a certain way one day of the year. These members of AA tell themselves the lie that “this time will be different,” and “I can change if I decide to on January 1st.” That isn’t the case. Change takes hard work, not wishful thinking or magic.

Real, Lasting Change Takes Work

The changes that I have made in my life that have been lasting and powerful, I made with thoughtful care and planning. I don’t pick a particular day or time, but incorporate the change as a new routine. I do much better when something is part of the regular daily plan. Therefore, I am much less apt to skip it or forget or make the decision to throw in the towel.

Due to past health issues, I had to change my diet and eating habits radically. Now it’s merely a part of my life and has been for years. These changes were hard at first, but I integrated them so deeply into my regular life, it now is my normal life, and as a result, I eat healthier than ever before.

Sporadic Attempts Usually Fail

I see friends struggle to work out or meditate on a regular basis, but they have no schedule. They try to fit things in whenever nothing else is going on. I see that as a recipe for disaster. Without a solid plan, changes don’t happen.

The things I want to include in my day are there every day because I have made it my habit to do them at the same time, in the same way, every day. I don’t make goals, and I am not trying to reach any specific level. I am just instituting change in a subtle way.

Sometimes those subtle changes are the most profound. When we put pressure on ourselves with dates and ridiculous goals we can’t attain, failure is almost guaranteed.

A Better Way to Change

When you make changes that are simply doing things that you already do but differently, the result is better and more substantial. I have found this to be hugely successful no matter what the subject. You don’t need New Year’s Resolutions to change your life. You can do it at any time!

Happy New Year and I wish you abundant joy, love, happiness, and health for 2019.

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