Why Most New Year's Resolutions Don't Work.

Do you know how most people are waiting for December 31, of the Year to jump on social media and start yelling their New Year's Resolutions? We have been doing this year-in, year-out. But still lett with the same results; haven't loss the weight, haven't gotten out of debt and get rich, haven't traveled the world...! Sounds familiar? Now Half the year is gone! Just curious, how are your 2016 Resolutions going? 

Here is why I urge you not to make New Year's Resolutions:

The fireworks have gone off, the champagne corks have been popped. We're officially in 2016.

How are you getting on with those New Year resolutions? You know, the ones you make every year? Like making strides to pursue a new job opportunity or finally start exercising?

Except it doesn't happen. After a little while, just like every year before this one, you ditch your resolutions and go back to the same old routine.

And you aren't alone. Apparently, 25% of people who make New Year's resolutions give up after a week. So here are three reasons why you shouldn't waste your time on a New Year's resolution.

1. Your Resolution Is Too Big.

Most of us tend to make New Year's resolutions without actually being aware that they are usually long term goals that require a significant amount of time and effort to accomplish. You might want to lose 10 kg, get a better job, or completely change your lifestyle. These are great long-term goals, and everyone should have something they want to accomplish over time. However, these aren't great permanent resolutions. You will quickly become overwhelmed and realize that your resolution isn't attainable in the immediate future.

Don't make these long-term goals your New Year's resolution. You're doomed once you put a yearlong time stamp on it. More appropriate resolutions would be to "start reading more" or to "eat a fruit once a day." You’re more likely to stick to these small resolutions.

2. You Aren't Truly Motivated

Most of us have a social / societal tendency to make New Year's resolutions because it's the popular thing to do, or because we want social acceptance from others. This is why we post our resolutions on Facebook or go to a busy gym with other people who made resolutions.

This might give people the initial push to start their resolution. It's difficult to convince yourself to start a goal, and it's great that people use this to get out of bed and go to the gym. But you don't want to use social acceptance as the base of your goal, because you'll stop doing it once the judgmental eyes of your peers turn away from you.

Goals are about improving yourself. This should be something that comes from intrinsic motivation that you want to do for yourself. If the motivation comes from yourself, then you will stick with your goal because you don't need anyone else to notice. You will notice, and that's all that matters.

3. Decision Fatigue

Finally, know this: it's really hard to maintain a steady level of self-control. Decision fatigue is a phenomenon that correlates with ego depletion. It basically means that you start to lose your motivation in a decision as time goes on. This happens because your mental energy is finite and can't sustain the same motivation you had when you first made a decision. You start to question your decision and try to find ways around it.

This causes most people to give up on their New Year's resolution. They only make the decision because of the time of year, and they aren't truly motivated. Decision fatigue kicks in, and before you know it, you decide to cancel your gym membership.

So… should you give up making or setting goals? Of course not! What you should be doing differently, though, is to make goals when the time is right. And sometimes, the right time is simply now. You don’t have to wait for a significant occasion like New Year’s or your birthday to begin working on attaining your goals. New Year's might feel like a great time to take a stand, but you're better served waiting until you're more fully committed – mentally, physically, and spiritually.

There is only one New Year, but each and every day is born with new opportunity. If yesterday’s attitude didn’t work for us, we can change it today. When we seal a resolution in our heads as static markers for an entire year, we give ourselves the message of “just one chance.” This life is full of a million and more chances. They are yours. Start over every day. Do the best you can. Start over again.

Set your intention daily. Visualize what you want it to look like. Try to shift your perspective on things in your day that will make it better.

24 hours at a time is an easy way to approach changes. Take baby steps. Realistically, whatever lasts a whole year anyway? #LegacyBuilders2016