It's the second month of 2019 now. How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions?
Several of my friends and relatives are going back into a familiar pattern that seems to happen every year. And, I can already foresee where it will go... those resolutions will join the great graveyard of forgotten goals.
It makes you wonder... have you ever really thought about why so many of us make New Year's resolutions?
Each year, more than 40% people make New Year's resolutions but less than 10% ever succeed. Each painful failure leads to further demotivation. You stop believing that you can really lose that weight, or kick that bad habit...
It seems to be a waste of effort and energy, so why do people keep trying?
Making New Year's resolutions is like a tradition. Every year, they create a unique momentum for change that other occasions do not. But ask yourself:
How many New Year's resolutions have come and gone? Time ticks on, never to return. A year wasted is gone forever. How many years are left to give you a golden opportunity to make a change in life?
One of my friends, Karen, who's also my wife's best friend, made a New Year's resolution for herself this year.
She works in marketing. Her resolution was to take a 3 month marketing course to upgrade herself in her career. It's something that she's been putting off for the last few years.
But, as soon as she started her programme, she started struggling with both finding time and energy because of her work and family. She found the marketing course boring and tedious; and so, she had very low motivation to continue.
Despite having strong determination at the beginning, she already skipped the last few classes, even if though it had only been a month.
This is a pretty deflating way to start a brand new year. It's supposed to be a "new me" in the new year, after all, right?
Now Karen has lowered her confidence in setting other goals for herself. She feels horrible to start 2019 this way, failing her resolution before it really got started.
What about you? How are your resolutions progressing?
In reality, New Year's Resolutions are just a special type of goal. They can be conquered with tried and true methods.
Over the next few days, I'm going to show you how using practical solutions from the skills we teach at Lifehack can help you achieve your New Year's resolutions this year. I will also show you, step by step, how I used these skills to help Karen turn things around.
Starting tomorrow, I will be breaking some fundamental beliefs you might have to help you accomplish anything you want this year.
But, I'll also need your feedback so I can help you with your New Year's resolutions.
So, let me know by replying to this email:
- Are you struggling to make your resolutions happen?
- Are you falling back into the same pattern as last year?
Cheers,
Leon
