It’s that time of year again. People are thinking about resolutions, and also about broken resolutions. Why do we have such good intentions and such poor outcomes? Well, there are a few reasons, but this year, I’m looking at support structures. Maybe it’s not your lack of discipline that trashes resolution after resolution, year after year. Maybe there’s more to it than just “try harder”.
Let’s look at a few possible New Year’s Resolutions:
Drink more water: is there lead in your city’s water? Is bottled water getting more and more expensive? Maybe you need a resolution like “attend city council meetings and lobby for modernized water treatment and distribution”.
Lose weight: so what’s the barrier here? Are you too busy to stop for meals – is it a scheduling issue? Is fast food cheaper than fresh food – is it a budgeting issue, or an advocacy issue? Are you always jumping on the latest fad diet – do you just need to swear off diets? Maybe you need a resolution like “figure out what’s really going on with food in my life”.
Go to the gym more: is the gym a pleasant place with people you like? Is it a long drive to the nearest or best gym? If you go, does it help? Maybe a better resolution would be “look for a better gym option”.
So let’s not just “make” New Year’s resolutions, let’s think them through. What needs to change in your environment to make healthy habit formation seem more realistic? What issues in your life consistently undermine your determination to change and grow?
Here’s some more wisdom about New Year’s resolutions:
How to make New Year’s resolutions work