HOW TO KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS - Persistence

The last reason I want to present in this series of reasons why our resolutions are not kept and our goals are not achieved is "want to" or persistency. Some might say they really want to do something, but when people really want to do something, they usually find a way to do it – even if there are lots of obstacles in the way.

It is very easy to get frustrated and quit. It doesn’t take a lot of willpower to make the choice to quit. Where the “want to” really comes in to play is deciding to stick it out when it gets hard and/or confusing and you don’t know if you can make it or even what to do next.

It boils down to not giving up on the things you want. We may give up or quit sometimes because the “want to” for the resolution set or the goal chosen is not really the deep-down thing we want. Getting excited about a goal is not hard to do. It is also a fairly easy thing to have hope that one day you might somehow achieve your goal and all will be right with the world. But hope without the excitement which causes you to take the actions required to make things happen is not much more than day-dreaming. The trick is to maintain that excitement.

A common excuse is that excitement about a goal or resolution goes away as it does with all new things as you get used to them and the new wears off. But, you have to find a way to renew the excitement everyday. Come on! you say. That’s just faking it. You fake it everyday when you answer peoples’ question about how you are doing. Have you ever found yourself feeling better just because someone made you smile or laugh? The body responds to the input it is given. If we only got out of the bed on the days we feel like it, we would be a world of bedridden people.

Excitement is not permanent. That is why you have to find a way to renew it everyday. You can compare it to taking a bath. Just because you took one yesterday, doesn’t mean you won’t need one today. Just keep seeing yourself as having already reached your goal and the satisfaction that comes with it. Keep reminding yourself that all the struggle and pursuit is worth it. And remember, just because you mess up a time or two doesn’t mean you have to quit or you can’t make it. Just keep remembering your reason and you’ll continue to make progress until BAM! before you know it, you’re there.