I WILL better myself.
This has always been our number 1 New Year’s resolution, in one rendition or another.
But somehow, we find our promises to ourselves hard to maintain. Some could commit to their New Year’s resolution for a few months, while others stray after just a few weeks or worse, a few days. And yet, there is a rare breed of humans who are able to keep discipline for the whole year.
In a survey conducted by the Forbes Health in 2023, it was found that 22% of Americans say that their resolutions lasted three months and it goes downhill from that with only 1% sticking to their goals for the whole year.
Personality development coach JV Canta explained to republicasia the reasons why.
Look within you
According to Canta, usually, when we set our goals for the year, we just randomly pick them according to what we feel like at the moment, what our friends are doing, or whatever is trending.
While those can be our guide, Canta explained that laying out New Year’s resolutions is a personal journey that requires introspection.
We all need to look inside ourselves to know what we truly want and need to do in the new year to create better versions of ourselves. If we just copy what is “in,” chances are we will have trouble committing to it because it is not what we really desire. It is easy to let go of a goal that we are not personally invested in.
Canta said, we must find a sense of purpose for each goal we set, as ultimately, New Year’s resolution should be something we do for ourselves, and not anybody else.
“Iniisip ko lagi, ‘Will this change my life o kaartehan ko lang ‘to na gusto ko siya?’ What’s in it for me? Kailangan ma-identify mo rin ‘yan. What is your ‘why’? Bakit mo siya ginagawa in the first place? Kasi if hindi klaro sa’yo, like, ‘I just want to lose weight,’ ‘I want to save money,’ ‘I want to be more confident,’ but you don’t understand how it can improve your life, e di, hindi mo siya gagawin or ka-career-in.”
For Canta, superficial goals lead to dissatisfaction. While our resolutions are indeed personal, we also must be intentional.
She even went to share her personal journey, “Kasi ako, I remember, nag-goal ako dati, ‘I want to save P100,000. Ginoal ko talaga ‘yan, overtime-overtime and all that. No’ng na-hit ko na, empty. Okay, mayroon akong pera, tapos? Ano nang next? At usually, sakit ‘yan ng bagets kasi hindi klaro sa utak kung anong gusto. ‘Pag nakuha na, they will feel dissatisfied, they will feel empty, naghahanap na ng next… Ito ba talaga gusto ko? ‘Pag nakuha ko na siya, magiging masaya ba talaga ako?”
Be SMART
But it does not just end there.
According to Canta, we must be SMART in setting our New Year’s resolution — specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
Let us take for example one of the common New Year’s resolutions — to stay fit.
- Specific – it is not enough that we want to “stay fit” for the new year, we have to be more specific — do we want to lose weight or do we want to gain muscles, do we want to be more flexible or do we want to just add some regular physical activity?
- Measurable – if the goal is to lose weight, then the obvious way to monitor progress is through weight check, if the goal is to be more flexible, a way to see how far you have come is through photos, if the goal is to be more active, then a daily checklist can do the trick;
- Achievable – there are many ways to lose weight, but the question is which way to lose weight are we willing to commit to — via workout, via cosmetic surgery, via diet, etc.? Do we have the money, time, and energy to exercise daily?
- Relevant – piggybacking to what Canta said about finding the “why” in our goals, we must ask ourselves how losing weight or gaining muscles or being flexible can benefit our lives;
- Time-bound – lastly, putting a deadline or check-in time for goals can keep us on track and help us measure our progress. It is also a way to keep our targets realistic. If we want to lose 20 pounds in a month, that is too drastic and unattainable; a better and more realistic goal is losing 20 pounds in the course of a year with a mid-year check-in.
One step at a time
Once we have decided on which goals to set for 2025, actually starting to do it is another thing altogether.
Canta said that many fail to make progress or actually push through with their New Year’s resolution because we only think on surface level and not really plan about the actual specific steps we must take.
This ultimately answers the “how” of achieving our resolutions.
“When you set goals like that [saving] P120,000 in 2025, how can you make it easier? You break it down into 12 [months], so, you’ll have to save P10,000 per month. How will you break it down kada sahod? Save ka ng P5,000 kada sahod. If you’re able to save P5,000 kada sahod, and you’re disciplined enough to do that, by the end of the year, you have P120,000.
“Sometimes, when we set goals, kailangang i-breakdown natin into simpler steps or bite-sized steps.”
Have a goal board
Canta encourages everyone to have a visual representation of our resolutions and putting it somewhere we can always see. That way, we will be constantly reminded of the promises we made to ourselves, as well as our aspirations and manifestations. It is fun, after all, to go through it every once in a while to see how far we have been through.
The author personally curates a Pinterest board of all her goals for each year. Others publish it on their social media accounts to have accountability. For Canta, she creates a virtual goal board that she uses as her phone wallpaper. And for the old schools, having a physical goal board made out of magazine clippings and photos posted on cork boards that hang on their bedroom wall not only reminds them of their goals but adds personality in their personal spaces.
“When you put your dreams or your goals on paper or somewhere that you can see, concrete na siya at magandang reminder. Kasi we always do something that we always see. Magandang paalala,” Canta said.
Admittedly, coming up with New Year’s resolutions is a hard task; there is no template because it is something we must find out for ourselves. But at the end of the day, committing to upgrading ourselves is the way to growth.
And while starting the journey to the “new me” is not limited to just January 1, Canta emphasized how exciting it is to begin self improvement at the beginning of the year.
“You can do it anytime. The only advantage of doing this in new year is that everyone will be supportive and the whole world is basically on your side kasi everyone’s doing it. So, it’s an exciting time to start. But that should not stop you if you feel like it’s not yet your time and you feel like doing it after a week or a month or after 10 days, I don’t know, it depends on you. Do it at your own time.”
What are your 2025 resolutions? Tell us in the comments!
