Making New Year’s Resolutions is a very common practice at the start of a new year, but it is not common to actually stick to those resolutions. In fact, less than 10% of people who set New Year’s Resolutions go through with them.

  It is possible to stick with your resolutions, especially if you understand why many people fail at theirs. Here are the top 5 reasons that people don’t stick with their resolutions and how to avoid these mistakes:

Unrealistic Resolutions:

  Let’s face it, making a resolution that involves going to the gym 6 times a week is certainly not realistic, especially if you have a track record of going to the gym 2 times in a year. Although a healthier lifestyle is a great resolution, many people have unrealistic expectations for their workout routines.

  Many people do not have the time to work out every day of the week, so setting that as a resolution maybe isn’t the best idea. Instead, opt for a more realistic approach, such as working out 3 days a week.

  Unrealistic resolutions are only one of many reasons that people fail to stick to their resolutions.

No Plan:

  Another major reason people fail at sticking with their resolutions is because they have no plan. They dive right in without a clear idea of what they are going to do once they’ve started.

  If your resolution is to get your grades up, it is important to realize that it won’t happen without planning and work. You must plan out how you are going to get your grades up, set apart a time each day to study and do homework, and get help from teachers.

Organizing Your Time:

  Planning and organizing your time go hand and hand. It is hard to stick to a resolution when you can’t seem to find the time to do everything you need to do on top of any new additions to your schedule.

  Make sure that when you are planning your resolutions and how you will go about performing them you consider how much time you have and how this new resolution may affect your already existent schedule.

Doing it Alone:

  Whatever your resolution may be, doing it alone will make it that much harder to stick with. Going at it by yourself can leave you feeling unmotivated and could eventually cause you to lost interest.

  Having someone who will support you and serve as an accountability partner can encourage you to keep going even when you don’t want to. Whether that means getting a gym buddy who will work out with you or just getting a friend to remind you to go to the gym, it can certainly be helpful to have outside support.

Losing Motivation:

  Possibly the biggest cause for New Year’s Resolution fails is that people lose their motivation. Whether it be because they are no longer interested or they are just not getting the results they wanted, they give up and decide to forget about the resolution altogether.

  Telling somebody else what you are trying to accomplish is a great way to keep your motivation because they can encourage you and keep you accountable. You can also treat yourself every time you reach a milestone or after something positive happens in regards to your resolution, whether that be a cheat day from eating healthy foods or buying yourself that pair or shoes you’ve been eyeing for months.

  Now that you have an idea of what causes people to fail at sticking to their New Year’s Resolution, you can now avoid these common mistakes and choose to stay with your resolution.