With 2020 coming to a close, it'll be a year that we won't soon forget, a year that was highjacked by an invisible enemy.
And with the Christmas rush now over, resolution ideas are circulating. For various reasons— and with good intentions—many will want to start their new year with an incentive to turn over a new leaf. And while some will be successful at it, others will become bored and deflated before January is over, tossing their goals aside in defeat.
Why, then, do many begin the new year motivated to make changes, only to end up feeling like a failure when they relapse?
A couple of reasons stand out as to why my New Year's resolutions didn't work in past years: 1) I'd made them on a whim (or a dare). 2) I'd set unrealistic goals for myself without giving any real thought to how I wanted to achieve them.
But by setting realistic goals for ourselves, we are more apt to keep our resolutions throughout the year because we are better equipped to avoid the pitfalls unwarranted pressure can present.
As you look forward to a new year, whatever you're planning on giving up or adding, bear in mind, even if you relapse at some point, it doesn't mean you are a failure, so don't beat yourself up. Instead, celebrate your progress. Reflect on how far you have come, not on how far you have to go. Most all of all: keep believing in yourself, stay resolute, and focused on hope.
Happy New Year! All the best in 2021!
