Here's Why New Year Resolutions Are Bullshit
It's that time of year again where everyone and their dog starts spouting the same old bollocks about making BIG changes in the New Year. It's time for a new me. 2022 will be my year, as was 2019, 2020 and 2021 supposedly. But I’m here to tell you why New Year resolutions are bullshit.
‘I'm not going to drink; I'm going to eat healthier; I'm going to give up smoking; I'm going to stop wanking to porn.’ - does this sound familiar?
However, the reality is nothing much has changed for the majority of people who made such bold claims.
That’s because New Year resolutions are bullshit
You wake up on New Year's day, and reality kicks in. Suddenly you're filled with dread and think to yourself, oh bollocks, what have I let myself in for? This is too hard; it's way more difficult than I had imagined. I can't do it; I've failed already, I'm a loser, and I'm never going to be able to achieve my goals. A week or two later and you’re back to your old ways.
Life lesson - never commit to something while drunk or high.
Here's the thing. Whenever you set yourself a task that's too restrictive, and you take away all the good stuff you enjoy, life suddenly becomes pretty bloody boring. The motivation to eat clean, only drink water, and train five days a week has all but disappeared.
If your New Year resolution is too restrictive, you're going to feel restricted. And when you say to yourself, I can't do this, and I mustn't do that. Do you know what happens?
You're going to want to do it all the more - it's human nature!
Take Dry January, for instance. In the week leading up to Christmas and the New Year, you've drunk enough to sink a ship, eaten loads of crap and put on a stone in weight and spunked untold amounts of money on booze, fags and partying.
If you have the tiniest bit of self-respect, you're going to have a degree of regret. It's that regret that's going to produce a degree of motivation (you hope) and desire for change, hence the infamous New Year resolution.
But I’ll say it again; New Year's resolutions are bollocks - here’s why
Every year, people make the same old resolutions - no sugar, go to the gym, cut out booze, get in the best shape of your life, take up a new hobby…yada yada yada. And yet, 90% of people never stick to any of their resolutions beyond January, February at the latest. And, once you’ve slipped up once, the flood gates are open and you’re back to your old ways because you know no different.
Whereas, if you set realistic goals, and learn to implement new effective daily habits to replace the disempowering old ones, you will stand a much better chance of success. However, the majority of people who set New Year resolutions rely solely on willpower and motivation. And, past experience for the majority of people will tell you, motivation alone is extremely short-lived.
Does this sound familiar?
That’s why New Year resolutions rarely ever work - fact!
Rarely is there any planning, any form of how you’re going to get there? The hurdles you’ll likely face, or what life will look like once you’ve achieved your goal.
Now, if you find yourself slipping up and have succumbed to temptation, rather than all your efforts turning to shit and resorting back to your old ways, ensure you acknowledge you've fucked up. Look at the reasons you wanted to make the change in the first place - weight loss, improve health, earn more money etc. It's essential to allow a mistake to be corrected ASAP rather than everything you've worked for so far, going to shit and finding yourself right back where you started.
That's why drinking once a week could work better for you than Dry January, or meat-free Monday might be better than meat-free January to start with? A small win is always better than a big loss.
These are some of the things I consider when setting my goals
Clearly define your goal
Set a non-negotiable date on which to achieve your goal
Define the exact steps required in order to achieve your goal
Highlight what lifestyle habits will hinder your ability to reach your goal (alcohol, toxic relationships, unsupportive environments, etc)
Understand what’s likely to change once you’ve achieved your goal.
Effective strategies to ensure success
Look, guys, I’m going to discuss the exact goal-setting strategies I personally use in the next episode of the podcast. They are the same strategies my coaches and mentors use. This episode will help you to move closer to your goals - be that to lose weight, reduce your alcohol consumption, or focus on your career and relationships.
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Remember, anyone can set goals, but it’s the Men who strategically plan, that reach their goals successfully.
Damian King
