How can I keep new years' resolution?

byPetervanDijk

724 followers

5 years ago

Every year I make resolutions. Every "new year" I make some more resolutions, so called new years' resolutions. And every year I seem to fail in my resolutions. What is wrong with me?

Typically, my first (to be) resolution starts around September. The holiday-period is over and it is time to (go back to) work. Most of your colleges have gone on a holiday, spend time with the kids and/or friends and family and now "normal" times are laying ahead. Next year you want it to last longer. The holiday has to last longer or never stop at all, even better.

By that time temperature slowly is dropping, trees lose their leaves and it is getting darker towards the Christmas period. The blues are coming.

In that period before Christmas normally my main resolution for the next year, has something to do with money. Most of the time the lack of it. So that most definitely has to be increased....next year!

After a couple of months, going to November/beginning of December, Christmas is coming slowly in to every ones lives. You have a lot of social gatherings with friends, family and with colleges or business relations. The accumulation of this all is going to be the big one: CHRISTMAS itself. Three days of relentless drinking and eating, and being happy (or drunk, or both) with your loved ones.

Straight after Christmas my second resolution pops up, because my weight has gone to the roof and I feel miserable. I have to work out, I need to run more often, take the bike to work and eat more healthy food. Simple as that, I have got my second resolution: improve my overall health.

Importance of a new years' resolution

Some people around me tell me that you don't need new year to make a resolution. "You can start every day with this, if you really want it!". Of course, they are right. But for me personal it is very important to live to the moment of "the new year". I can say many times "tomorrow I will start", and sometimes I even start, but most of the times I have work towards the moment of a resolution. Also, I think January is a nice month. It is quite cold so am inside more often. Most of the people I have seen enough last month(s) and at work it is a bit quieter and there is less stress in general. Except in the gym...because unfortunately I am not the only one who needs to lose weight (a lot...).

Set resolutions for the new year

My first new years' resolution for 2019 is to start an online business to become financial independent....whatever that means, because almost no one is able to be(come) independent from money in my opinion. In my case I hate it and I am freaking loving it. It is the biggest heist mankind has ever created....and I want it badly!

Furthermore, I need a six pack. The way I look at the moment is not pretty, so I have to be radical and I need a dream body. How? Start training every day....hardcore. Running, cycling, pumping weights and of course eat healthy, all the time (from now on).

Keep my resolutions

That was 2019. Over one year ago I said this to myself. Of course, I started....one hole month. Until the setbacks came and my motivation started to decrease. "But for sure I will start next month again", I promised myself.

The gym-part of my resolution was a slight more successful.... I managed to maintain going to the gym for almost 7 months. And I even started to become quite good in spinning (indoor cycling). Instead of going out with the bike, I went to the gym which, on average saved me a lot of time. Because going on a tour with my bike (with others or alone) starts with a minimum of two hours and more often even four or five hours. So I was able to safe a lot of my precious time, to....work on my business? That was the idea, sure. Then the summer came, it was nice and warm....etc. No more cycling.

Now, being the third week of 2020 I finally started to, consistently, work on my online business/website/blog. Well I am working on it for the first weeks of this year that is. Every morning and every evening, between 10 and 15 hours a week.

The second part is my "health". Instead of going to the gym, which I want to do again one of these days, I first started with a short morning run. Also, so far, so good and for sure I feel better on the days I have been active in the mornings then on the days I stayed in bed and didn't do anything.

When have you achieved your resolutions?

For the last twenty(!) years' now, I can honestly say these are, more or less, my biggest new years' resolutions. And every year again they are on my list.

So, what do I wrong? Every year I start very enthusiastic, every year I promise myself this year is going to be different so they don't have to be on my new years' list anymore.

Who can help me to lower my "new years' start from 0-100 in 2 sec." and my even stronger 100-0 stop-resolution for the new year?

Who can help me to set a framework which will be more sustainable for the future, without falling in to the same trap(s).

Planning

So far I am at this point, with my planning:

1. I really want it (again)!

2. Write down the resolutions, look at them every day and say them out loud!

3. Plan it in your schedule! One hour in the morning and one in the afternoon: before/after work.

4. Make it more realistic (but how.... I am so happy to start (and run like crazy)...but most likely to crash hard as well)

5. Ask for help!! Well, here I am...;)

....

Thanks for reading and for your help in advance!

Peter

BTW: this is also my first post and I am not a native English speaker, so please forgive me my mistakes and errors within this blog.