2021: Time to Turn "Revolving" Into "Resolving"

We are on the 25th day of 2021. By this time, most of our “New Years’ Resolutions” have gone out the window. From improving health to learning a new skill, 60-80% of Americans give up trying to achieve their New Year goals before February 1st. This failure over the years leads to us either quitting from setting resolutions or causes us to never improve, grow, or develop. For example, in 2019, an individual makes a new year’s resolution to workout every day. The first week, the individual does a great job consistently working out. The second week, the individual might miss one or two workouts; however, makes up the workouts missed. During the third week, the individual misses a few workouts and by February 1st, the individual has quit working out at all. Then, in December of 2020, the individual makes the same goal to workout daily. This one goal becomes a “Revolving Resolution” that comes and goes annually.

The diagram below shows the “Revolving Resolution” system most of us go through every year.

Is this going to be another “revolving resolution” year? It is up to you to make that decision. To help, here are four tips on turning revolving resolutions into resolving resolutions.

Tip #1: Put the resolutions through the “SMART” process:

High schools and colleges across the country teach the “SMART” Goal Process. This acronym helps lay a solid foundation for New Year Resolutions. When developing your goals, make sure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based. “By the end of 2021, I will average losing one (1) pound a month” is a better goal than “I am going to lose weight in 2021.” The SMART requirements help establish standards and gives our goals substance.

Tip #2: Chip away and break down big resolutions:

Whether it's weight loss, body building, finances, intelligence, or learning a new skill, all resolutions take time to achieve. We tell ourselves we can achieve huge goals in a short amount of time. Breaking habits, making lifestyle changes, and most other New Year resolutions are marathons, not sprints. This length of time causes motivation to decrease, which leads us back to the same revolving resolutions. This year, break the big goals down into smaller pieces. These smaller achievements will help sustain motivation, increasing the chances on reaching the big goals. For example, let us take someone who wants to learn a new hobby. Instead of just making a “learn a new hobby” goal, change the goal to state that the individual will “learn a new hobby by spending two hours a week learning about the hobby.” Now, a smaller measurement is in place and the chances of actually learning the hobby have increased greatly.

Tip #3: Make sure accountability measures are in place:

Going back to the SMART goals above, it is essential to have accountability measures in place. We recommend first, making sure an accountability measure is established to help remember the goals you set. Our fast-paced world sometimes has us going numerous directions. When we finally stop, we forget what our new years resolutions were. Make sure to write down the goals and review them on a quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily basis. Secondly, we recommend establishing a way to measure goals. Excel spreadsheets, pen and paper, and other applications are great ways to track resolutions. Lastly, we recommend an accountability measure be established that will help define what the next resolutions are after you achieve the current resolutions. If you lose weight and reach the desired weight, there must be maintenance goals in place. If financial goals are met, there is further targets to set. As Tim Duncan once said, “Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest. Till your good is your better, and your better is your best.”

Tip #4: Do not spread yourself too short:

This is the one I personally struggle with annually. Most of us want to do as much as we can, and we overload ourselves with goals, activities, and tasks. When we set too many goals for the upcoming year, we try to achieve them all. Putting a little focus in each goal eventually leads to none of the resolutions being accomplished. While we still need to push ourselves, make 5-10 big goals or 15-25 smaller goals. Depending on what the goals are will determine how many to set. The lower the number of goals, the more focus that can be put on the goals. Make sure to find the right balance.

In conclusion, the constant “revolving new year resolution” needs to stop. Everyone who moves in a circle ends up exactly where they started. This is the year to quit revolving, focus on the goals ahead, and move forward. Make sure to establish SMART resolutions and break them down into smaller, more attainable objectives. Then, ensure proper accountability measures are in place and that the goals set will not be overwhelming. Have a blessed, successful, and forward-moving New Year!