How Your New Year’s Resolution Can Become a Reality

By Dr. Kandis Boyd Wyatt
Faculty Member, Transportation and Logistics

No doubt 2020 was a year unlike any other; it was like three years rolled into one. The pessimist in me can look at the challenges of the past year: a still-raging pandemic, racial unrest and record unemployment, to name a few.

Yet the optimist in me tries not to complain and look for opportunity in every situation. Most of us use January 1 to open a new calendar, focus on our goals and set resolutions for the New Year.

New Year’s Resolutions Sometimes Fail When People Aren’t Ready to Change

But why do so many New Year’s resolutions fail? In some cases, people are not truly ready to change; people are easily discouraged and overwhelmed if the path to achieving that New Year’s resolution is unclear. So as we move into 2021, know that you can achieve anything if you exclude external cultural norms and focus on your resolution.

Tips for Making Your New Year’s Resolution a Success

 It’s shocking that only 12% of resolutions actually succeed, so here are my suggestions for making your 2021 New Year’s resolution a reality:

1. Write it down — Most people create their resolution in their minds, then do nothing. If you are going to achieve your resolution, write it down. Then post it where you can see it every day — in the car, on the fridge, on your monitor and in your calendar daily — so you have a visual reminder of your resolution.

2. Take the leap — Hesitation leads to failure. While the word “impulsive” may have a negative connotation, you need to make moves quickly, despite your internal voice that says otherwise. In most cases, we are our own biggest critic. It’s hard pursuing your New Year’s resolution. You will need to prepare yourself to persevere despite the obstacles. Perseverance means realizing there’s no glamor in achieving your resolution, you will need a tough skin to make it come true.

3. Have accountability partners — Have a crystal-clear vision of your resolution, one that you can communicate to others. Get comfortable talking about it. If your New Year’s resolution doesn’t scare you, it’s not challenging enough. An accountability partner will help you stick to your efforts to achieve your resolution.

4. No limitations — Stop pandering to your boss, your friends and your family. Their personal opinions mean nothing in helping you determine your resolution. Sometimes the outside world and its views can serve as a distraction. Distractions can come in the form of personal comments, communications like TV, radio, and newspaper, and social media. Turn off all notifications so you stop tailoring your world to the outside world. Your resolution is uniquely yours, so you need to stay focused on achieving it. While there will always be limitations, you have the ability to achieve. If you look to the past, you’ll see that you have achieved many things. Focus your energy and dreams on realizing your resolution. You gain new insights when you are determined to achieve that resolution.

5. Focus on the future — You may have failed in the past, and that’s okay if you have learned from your mistakes. Realizing your resolution will mean changing and making sacrifices. Perspective is everything, but most people are too frightened to realize their resolution because the path to success is difficult. If it weren’t difficult, you wouldn’t be proclaiming it as a resolution. Focus on the resolution and remove the distractions.

6. Get ready for failure — Look at some of the most successful people in the world, and really focus on their path to success and the failures they have encountered along the way. The key is to keep going, to see opportunities where others might not and to passionately move toward your resolution.

7. No excuses — Excuses are self-inflicted limitations. Yes, there are limitations in the world, but there are also many opportunities. No one will give you anything that you have not earned; creating excuses will prevent you from achieving your resolution. If others have overcome and achieved, so can you. Remember, you have nothing to lose.

If you are an optimist, view 2021 as a year full of opportunities and possibilities. If you are a pessimist, expect a continuation of 2020. The choice is yours to decide on your resolution, set your goal and start imagining what you’ll feel like when you succeed.

With an optimistic attitude, you can recreate that feeling daily. Optimism is the key to excellence. Excellence means vigilance. It means believing in yourself. It means shaping yourself and making a new version of you. Don’t get distracted from your resolution — you can get there if you stay the course.

Happy New Year!