Quitters Day

First, don’t set yourself up for failure.

Does it sometimes work to set lofty goals? Sure, but when setting a big goal it has to be aligned with our circumstances and lifestyle. If you decide you are going to workout every day, but your schedule is already completely full you’ve set a goal that is impossible to sustain.

The reason most people don’t keep their New Year’s resolutions is not that they are quitters or lack willpower, it’s that the goals aren’t well thought out. Setting goals that are realistic and achievable is what makes it possible to keep a New Year’s resolution.

Second, don’t do it alone.

Self-sufficiency is a scam.

Willpower, bootstraps  – this DIY mindset is deeply entrenched in our culture, yet community and collaboration have been shown to radically improve your chance of succeeding at a goal.

Tell a friend, join an online community, work with a health & wellness coach, personal trainer, or other professional, or check in with a trusted colleague each morning at work. Studies show people accomplish significantly more when they have accountability, such as sending weekly progress reports to a coach or a friend.

It’s not easy to be vulnerable and share your goals with someone else, yet that discomfort can be motivating and trying to create change is simply easier when you don’t feel like you have to do it alone.

Decide that you WILL be a quitter…

…but don’t have to stay a quitter.

The path to achieving goals is usually non-linear. You will have some great days and others will feel like complete failures.

When we think we have to do things perfectly, we fail and quit. If we understand that ups and downs are expected – and even opportunities to learn about what isn’t right for us – we can keep moving forward instead of giving up and postponing our dreams to the next New Year to try again.