Many people start off their new year with hopes, dreams, and goals. Many, many more people fail to meet any of these things by the end of the year. Why do people make all these aspirations if they can’t muster up the vitality to pursue them completely? Many people have speculated and studied who actually accomplishes their new year’s resolutions, but it hasn’t changed the fact that people continue to fail them year after year. So why do we do make them, and why do we fail so many of them too?
I think that as far back as humanity goes, the things that has driven us towards progress are the goals we set for ourselves. We also have a brilliant trait called stubbornness, which has its advantages and disadvantages. We can be stubborn and fail to move forward or stubborn and fail to slow down. Either way a person’s stubbornness greatly affects if he or she can accomplish goals. People now a days often procrastinate if a task is difficult as well, stunting the drive to get anything done. The new year is like a clean slate for people and allows them to feel revived and ready to tackle their issues again with another gust of wind under their wings. It’s the fact we don’t give up and continue to set goals that keeps us making these new year resolutions.
Why do we fail these countless goals we set? Simply put, we’re lazier now more than ever. Why run a mile when I can sit in my house and watch Pawn Stars on my 60 inch? Why eat healthier when Taco Bell is a minute away and it’s happy hour? Why try to get good grades when you can spend your time how you like it every day? We set these goals not as a nuisance, but as a way of moving forward for the improvement of ourselves. We exercise to feel stronger, eat healthy to feel better, and learn to feel smarter. We fail because it’s easy to fail; what is never easy is doing the one thing you’ve been trying to do for a long time. To accomplish your resolution, it’s simple. Start small, and start slow. Focus on your goal, and don’t get distracted by what’s easy. It’s a new year, so make the most of it now while you still have a new year to set goals for.