Did you set a New Years Resolution for 2016? Research shows that 45% of Americans usually make a New Year’s Resolution. If you set one, are you still keeping it? We are a month into 2016 and means 36% of you have not kept up your resolution!1 As we get set to roll into February, it’s time to stay focused or renew your focus on resolutions and goals. So you probably fall into one of these categories:

  1. Pushing hard towards their resolutions
  2. Already given up
  3. Didn’t set a resolution.

I find myself still in category number one, and I know there are already people sliding into #2. I think there are valid reasons for #3. Whichever category you are in, keep reading for some encouragement.

Pushing hard towards their resolutions

Resolutions can get boring, overwhelming, forgotten or overcome by old habits. Don’t let them get that way. On the resolutions highway, you are driving past the exit signs and continuing down the highway to accomplish your goals. Keep up the good work. Most things get harder before they get easier so be prepared to beef up your determination if you haven’t already had to do so. There are all kinds of ways to stay encouraged and motivated towards your resolutions. Accountability is one of them. If you don’t have at least one person helping you and holding you to your actions then it’s time to find someone! Reach out to someone you trust, a professional like a trainer or life coach, or an expert in the field of your goal. You’ll be glad you did!

Already Given up

Don’t worry, I’m not going to call you out or shame you for losing track of your goal. Setting and keeping to resolutions and goals is hard and takes intentionality to keep after them. Maybe you purposefully gave up on a goal to pursue something different or because it was hurting other people or priorities in your life. Maybe you just forgot about your resolution and fell right back to old habits, like sleeping in instead of getting up to work out. Whatever happened, keep your head up. Get back on the horse and try again. If it was important to set as a New Years Resolution then it is probably worth starting back after you stopped. There is still a lot of year left in 2016 to accomplish what you want to accomplish. Let me know if you need help or accountability to stay with it or get started again. I would be honored to help!

No Resolutions for me

There are tons of reasons for not setting a New Years Resolution. You may not have had time to realize what you want to do this year. You could have lots of goals that span across the December to January calendar change and didn’t want to set new ones. Whether it was intentional or not, you’ll get no argument from me. My wife reminded me that the New Year doesn’t fit everyone’s schedule for changing course, starting new things or changing habits. She is a schoolteacher and this is the middle of her year. She would much rather start something new at the beginning of the school year or at the start of summer break than to worry about it during her Christmas break as she enters a busy time of year. You don’t have to start a goal on January 1st. The best time to improve or start towards something you want to do is today. I encourage you to start: use the first of the month, the first day of the week, or even the first moment after you think of a goal.

It doesn’t matter where you are in your resolutions or what the statistics say. You can achieve your goals! There is a lot of time left in 2016, keep after your resolutions and set a new goal if you need to.

1New Year’s Resolutions– Statistic Brain.”
2015 Statistic Brain Research Institute, publishing as Statistic Brain.
Research Date: December 27th, 2015
http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

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