resolutions Archives - Adam Kirk Smith

When the facts tell you that 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail, you know that there’s a problem. Yet, 45% of Americans look over this fact and spend time thinking up new ones every year. Well, I’m tired of seeing this happen year after year, so that’s why episode eighty-nine is on New Year’s Resolutions. As a life coach I have found that some things work, and other things don’t, and I want to tell you what I’ve found.

So, here are the six top reasons that New Year’s resolutions don’t work:

If you are reading this, I would be willing to bet you have made at least one resolution for the New Year.

Before you jump up and deny it, let me explain.

A large chunk of people make New Year’s Resolutions. They declare that starting January 1st, they will be in the gym and working out (almost) on a daily basis, or they will start eating right, or they will do that one thing they always wanted to, but never have.

You get the picture.

But like me, a lot of us don’t bother saying it out loud. We believe making resolutions in our heads is enough to help us change our lives. Either way, we all make resolutions. It does not matter if you say it out loud or not. If you go around in your head telling yourself that you will be in the gym next week, that’s a resolution.

But, be honest with me and yourself… Resolutions do not work. They never have and never will. Resolutions are squandered as soon as the first hurdle appears. Resolutions make it easy to walk away and have no ties to what we set out to do. That’s why most people quit two weeks into their resolutions. So, here is a simple life hack for making resolutions.

Ready?

Don’t waste your time with making resolutions.

You want to know the real answer?

Life Hack #1: Make goals.

Goals make a difference. They help us set out practical steps that lead us somewhere. Resolutions are no better than throwing a handful of dirt in the air and expecting it to rain. What you really need is a list of goals to begin the best life hack of all and to find clarity and purpose for your life. A straight path makes it easier to find yourself where you want to be instead of wandering aimlessly without a purpose. What would you love to see yourself accomplish in the New Year? Short-term and long-term goals apply here. It could be what you want to accomplish in 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and/or 12 months. But, create your own life hack and set goals for things that are absolutely attainable within a year or even more, if you want to dream big.

Once you have that done, start breaking those goals down into actionable steps. What do you need to do to reach your goal? Life hack answer: With the example of wanting to work out consistently, set apart a specific time each day and dedicate it to going to the gym or local park.

Whatever you want to accomplish, this life hack of making goals is dependent on you.

Author, Jeff Goins said it best when he said,

[box]”Don’t waste your time with writing resolutions this New Year. Instead, focus on something else: resolve.”[/box]

Life Hack #2: Build resolve.

Do that by setting goals and taking steps to achieve them! Only by doing this can you build resolve and reach your goals.

Michael Hyatt also offers some great resources and articles about setting goals. You can find the articles here and here. Or you can learn more about his new product “5 Days to Your Best Year Ever“.

These are all great resources and materials, but unless you have the personal life hack of resolve built into your own life to make things happen, you will end up in the same exact spot a year from now.