Fact Check! Are You Still Keeping Your New Year Resolution?

What was the first thing you wrote as your New Year resolution at the beginning of the year? Quit smoking? Cut down on alcohol or stop completely? Lose weight?  We are at the tail end of January but are you keeping your New Year resolution?

Every year, millions of Nigerians make New Year resolutions a top priority especially on the eve of the new year when most people congregate in Church, but the problem is that less than 10 per cent of us are actually keeping them.

No doubt that New Year’s resolutions are self-improvement rituals but why do people find it difficult to stick by the rules they made themselves. Could it be lack of motivation, lack of resources, or do we just lose interest?

One of the reasons why we fail to keep New year’s resolutions is that most of us create resolutions that are too ‘big’ and therefore we can’t meet them. Resolutions require being realistic with yourself and taking a hard, long look in the mirror with determination. It requires changes in behaviour, and most of us don’t want to face the fact that there is often a laundry list of changes to make even when we’ve written it down.

If you’re not sticking to your New Year’s resolution because of lack of motivation maybe that’s because you’re doing it alone. Getting someone to check you creates accountability. They’re the energy you need when the body is weak to carry on. But remember, your friend should be a positive force in your life, not a negative one.

Are you lacking resources to stick to your New Year’s resolution? Then it’s time to check your list again. Maybe you set lofty goals that require a lot of finance. Examine your resolutions. Are they what you really want or did you commit to them because you thought you were supposed to?

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Many who give up on their resolutions do so because of the expenses associated with what’s on paper. For example, losing weight can sometimes require an expensive gym membership. Be creative and try to find less expensive ways to complete your goals. If you’re trying to lose weight, you can exercise and work out without a gym.

Finally, it could be that the reason why you have failed to keep your resolution was because of lack of interest. Whether you got discouraged or simply lost interest, giving up too easily is a big resolution breaker.

Many people make their resolutions with a genuine belief that they can accomplish them, but soon the excitement wears off and other priorities begin to take place. New Year’s resolution is a bigger time commitment that requires some sacrifices too.