8 January 2016

Why I don't set New Year's Resolutions, but I do set goals

| Sophia Carlini
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According to a University of Scranton study, only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. So why do we put so much pressure on ourselves by setting a New Year’s goal? Why is it so important to make the decision to do or not do something in order to accomplish a personal goal or break a habit on New Year’s?

I am personally against the tradition of setting a New Year’s resolution; I don’t see any reason to wait for the New Year to attempt to improve yourself. It’s like saying you’re going to start back at the gym on Monday, when you could just start back at the gym tomorrow!

According to Time, the top ten New Years resolutions made are:

New year's resolutions written on a notepad

All of these goals are pretty big goals. In order to achieve any of these goals, a great amount of commitment and dedication is required; which is probably why so many people fail. Most of us are way too busy with our lives to pour all of our time into achieving a New Year’s resolution.

By setting yourself a New Year’s resolution, you are basically setting yourself up to fail. The whole idea is to start on the first day of the New Year, and if you stuff it up, most people have the mentality that they have to wait to try again the next year. I believe that if you want something bad enough that you will make it happen. There will be no waiting for a New Year, you will want to start tomorrow.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for setting goals. Personally I think it’s the best way to achieve something huge; like getting out of debt or losing weight, but people need to remember that big goals like this aren’t achieved over night; they take time. So take the pressure off yourself by setting mini goals that are actually achievable. Most importantly, don’t stress yourself out over it; if you fail, you can start again tomorrow, you don’t have to wait for next year.

I refuse to set a New Year’s resolution. Instead I have a constant list of goals that I would like to achieve. And these goals change all of the time, because it’s my life and I’m in charge. My goals are an every day target, but of course there will be some that will now need to be achieved in 2016; there just wasn’t enough time this year to finish everything. The goals that I would like to achieve for myself in 2016 are:

  • Don’t sweat the small things
  • Get married in Greece
  • Lose the weight that I gained from travelling last year
  • Open my cafe
  • Have more ‘me time’

I have a few big goals and a few little goals to make it more realistic and achievable. If my big goals seem like they’re failing, I should be able to at least meet some of my little goals and celebrate the achievement.

Even though I don’t set myself New Year’s resolutions, it doesn’t mean I’m against anyone else setting their own; maybe you will be one of the 8% to succeed.

If you are setting yourself a resolution or two, I wish you the best of luck.

Happy New Year!

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imhotep said :

dungfungus said :

I am honoured to be able to assist you fulfil your mission Rosco.
Just ask me how I can help.

Don’t hold your breath Dungers 🙂

But Happy New Year to all the Rioters like you who contribute their thoughts honestly and without spite.

If it wasn’t for Rossco regularly reading the Murdoch narrative and reporting all the evil opinions I wouldn’t know what was going on in the real world.
I only get a chance to read the Telegraph when I get my haircut and the way it is thinning out I don’t thing that will be happening much longer.
I have never found anything offensive in the Telegraph.

dungfungus said :

I am honoured to be able to assist you fulfil your mission Rosco.
Just ask me how I can help.

Don’t hold your breath Dungers 🙂

But Happy New Year to all the Rioters like you who contribute their thoughts honestly and without spite.

rosscoact said :

My 2016 goal with the least effort required is to do everything in my power to reduce my contact with the negative, the miserable, the whiners and complainers that are determined to suck the life out of every good idea or everyone that wants to have a go.

These churls and misanthropes are more dangerous to the future of our children and our country than all the misguided politicians, Trump style right wing blaggards and union heavies put together.

Fortunately it’s easy enough to do. Avoid certain websites and forums, don’t read the obviously relentlessly biased media owned by Murdoch, and just ignore the trolls.

It’s going to be a great year.

I am honoured to be able to assist you fulfil your mission Rosco.
Just ask me how I can help.

justin heywood5:03 pm 04 Jan 16

rosscoact said :

My 2016 goal with the least effort required is to do everything in my power to reduce my contact with the negative, the miserable, the whiners and complainers that are determined to suck the life out of every good idea or everyone that wants to have a go.

These churls and misanthropes are more dangerous to the future of our children and our country than all the misguided politicians, Trump style right wing blaggards and union heavies put together.

Fortunately it’s easy enough to do. Avoid certain websites and forums, don’t read the obviously relentlessly biased media owned by Murdoch, and just ignore the trolls.

It’s going to be a great year.

There are websites and forums where everyone agrees with you and nobody complains about anything (unless you complain about them too)?

Please send me the link immediately.

rosscoact said :

My 2016 goal with the least effort required is to do everything in my power to reduce my contact with the negative, the miserable, the whiners and complainers that are determined to suck the life out of every good idea or everyone that wants to have a go.

These churls and misanthropes are more dangerous to the future of our children and our country than all the misguided politicians, Trump style right wing blaggards and union heavies put together.

Fortunately it’s easy enough to do. Avoid certain websites and forums, don’t read the obviously relentlessly biased media owned by Murdoch, and just ignore the trolls.

It’s going to be a great year.

Does that mean thsi site makes the grade? 🙂

My 2016 goal with the least effort required is to do everything in my power to reduce my contact with the negative, the miserable, the whiners and complainers that are determined to suck the life out of every good idea or everyone that wants to have a go.

These churls and misanthropes are more dangerous to the future of our children and our country than all the misguided politicians, Trump style right wing blaggards and union heavies put together.

Fortunately it’s easy enough to do. Avoid certain websites and forums, don’t read the obviously relentlessly biased media owned by Murdoch, and just ignore the trolls.

It’s going to be a great year.

John Moulis said :

“Lose weight and get fit”. That was my New Year resolution for 2009. Six years later I went from 125kg to 73.6kg. It *is* possible to stick to New Year resolutions.

I congratulate you for this John – that is an outstanding achievement.
Without good health the quality of one’s lifestyle becomes academic.
I lost over 10% of my body weight this year and so many things have improved; mobility being the main thing with 12kg less to lug around and no more BP medication to take.
The decision to lose weight was supported by my doctor and it was not too difficult to stick to the regime – a bit like giving up smoking 50 years ago.
Thanks must also go to the YMCA Men With Guts fitness program.
If I can do it so can everybody.

“Lose weight and get fit”. That was my New Year resolution for 2009. Six years later I went from 125kg to 73.6kg. It *is* possible to stick to New Year resolutions.

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