Happy New Year!

I love this time of year, but I can’t stand the pressure behind New Year’s Resolutions. Everyone’s got something they want to do differently or better. And they can’t wait to tell you about it.

What are your thoughts on resolutions? Have you ever made one and actually stuck to it? I don’t know about you, but mine always tended toward the “health” side of things, such as diets, limiting certain foods, and strict exercise related goals. I once did one where I aimed to take a picture every day with my digital camera. As much as I loved it, I think it lasted 2 months because life got busy.

No one goes into a New Year’s Resolution expecting to fail. There’s excitement about the feeling of a clean slate of a new year, moving toward whatever your goal is, and building a sense of self-efficacy at an achievement. No wonder so many of us strive to make a resolution. We all enjoy those positive feelings!

So, why are so many of us unable to keep our resolutions for very long? Why can’t we just commit to something and do it?

Sometimes the resolution is too vague. When we say we’ll “eat healthier,” what does that even mean?

Sometimes the resolution is too rigid. “Save $100 every week.” What about when you have an unexpected vet bill? Or you’re invited to be in a wedding?

So, let’s take a look at what resolution even means. Resolution can mean, “a firm decision to do or not do something.” But it also means, “the quality of being determined.” And what’s a synonym for determined? Purposeful.

What if we turned our resolutions into the second definition and focused more on the purpose than the actions themselves?

If you want to “eat healthier,” what’s the purpose? To avoid illness and live longer? There are a lot of ways to improve your health that have nothing to do with the food you eat or avoiding certain food groups. You could go to the doctor for preventative care. You could use sunscreen. You could ensure you have positive social support.

If you want to “save $100 each week,” what the purpose? To go on a big vacation or save for a house? You can take a small amount directly from your paycheck and put it in a separate account. You can research ways to save on home buying. You can find deals on vacations.

Perhaps if we stick with the purpose and look at it from a wider angle, we’ll have fewer feelings of failure when our actions don’t go as planned. We can move closer to those feelings of achievement we’re longing for. And we don’t have to end up starting all over again next January. Let’s give it a try together this year. Are you with me?