7 common mistakes people make when making New Year’s resolutions –

As another year ends and a new one begins, you might be saying to yourself, this year is going to be different. A new calendar, new beginnings, new opportunities, and of course, new resolutions. To make sure you make and stick to your resolutions this year, avoid falling into the trap of making these seven common mistakes when making New Year’s resolutions.

1. Set goals that are too big

There’s nothing wrong with setting ambitious goals, but it’s important to be realistic. If you’re struggling to run a 10-minute mile now and you expect to average a 4-minute mile by the end of the year, you’re probably going to fail. One of the rules of smart goal setting involves creating achievable goals. If you truly believe you can achieve something, you’re more likely to pursue it.

2. The resolution is too general

Is your holiday diet adding some weight to your waistline that you’d like to lose? Be careful not to make your resolution just to “lose weight,” but be clear about exactly how much weight you want to lose. When you set goals that are specific and measurable, they become more achievable.

3. Be a perfectionist

Maybe you’ve been there too: you started doing something consistently, whether it was working out or eating better, only to mess up and give up all together. Instead of being rigid about your resolutions and giving up on everything if you don’t get it perfect, be flexible with yourself. Recognize that you are human and you will make mistakes, and try to be as consistent as possible with whatever you need to do, even though it may not be 100% correct.

4. Giving up too early

You know how people say gyms get packed the first week of January and then empty out by February? People give up on achieving their goals too early. It can be challenging to stick with any new behavior that you’re not used to yet. Habits take weeks of practice and persistence to stick. Don’t give up on your resolution until the habit is formed. The first few weeks can be the most difficult. Once you make it part of your daily routine, it will hopefully become a new habit that sticks.

5. Don’t believe in yourself

This is probably the biggest source of failure of all time, whether it’s achieving a New Year’s resolution or any goal you set. You have to believe that you can accomplish the goal you set, otherwise, there is no point in pursuing it.

6. No responsibility

Even though we think of ourselves as separate people, we are more connected than anything else. We are social animals and public responsibility can make a big difference. Whether you choose a few close friends to tell you about your resolutions or publicly promote them, the accountability factor of others can help you hold yourself accountable.

7. Forgot why you made this decision in the first place

What’s the point of maintaining a new habit if you don’t understand the big reason behind it? Many people fail to keep their resolutions simply because they have forgotten why they made them in the first place. You can avoid this mistake by regularly reminding yourself of the reasons for coming up with this solution. Keep an image of the goal you’re pursuing in your imagination, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your resolution.