There are the 3 New Year’s Resolutions mistakes to avoid if you are thinking about making a New Year’s resolution this year. These are fairly common mistakes but easy to avoid if you make some small tweaks to your resolutions.
January 1st is the worst (or at least not the best)
The first New Year’s resolution mistake people make is to put all of our goals in a January 1st basket. This means that people tend to believe if they don’t set a resolution on January 1st they can’t set any goals for the year.
This is pretty silly. You can set goals at any time of year. And while there is some extra motivation at the start of things, you don’t just have to start at the beginning of the year. You could also start at the beginning of the month or the beginning of the week if “formal first days” motivate you.
Not sold yet? Check out my video below with more detailed information on why January 1st isn’t the only day or the best day to start a new habit. And I’ll give you some alternatives and ways to avoid making this mistake, too.
Your feelings matter more than your goals
The second New Year’s resolution mistake people make is to focus on the wrong thing. The thing people tend to focus on is a big goal with a big end result, rather than focusing on how you want to feel as you work on the goal.
This might seem like semantics, but think of it this way:
What happens when you achieve the goal? Will you continue with the habit you created to achieve it or will you drop it? Some people do keep it, but others don’t and the reason has to do with IDENTITY.
Not sold yet? I share more about the importance of connecting to feelings over goals and what identity has to do with all of this in my video below.
Small steps make the biggest progress
The third New Year’s resolution mistake people make is to make huge, exciting resolutions. Of course we do. What’s the point of making a resolution if it’s not grandiose in scope and hope? Well, the problem is that most people with huge goals don’t also take the additional action of thinking through the steps they need to take to achieve that big goal. And I’m talking every step. Even the super tiny steps that seem almost inconsequential.
Not sold yet? I share why knowing the small steps can be the secret to habit formation (aka resolution) success in my video.
So to avoid the 3 New Year’s Resolutions mistakes, there are some very simple things you can do.
1. Think less about January 1st and more about what beginning makes the most sense for you.
2. Think more about how you want to feel and less about the big goal you expect to achieve.
3. Think about all of the steps you need to take along the way, whether your goal is big or small.
Watch the video for more New Year’s Resolution support!
And if you’re into small steps and simple ways to move, check out my online studio, featuring short and fun classes to help get you moving with more ease and enjoyment.
