3 Secrets to Making New Year’s Resolutions Work

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A survey of 3,000+ people shows that 88% of all New Year’s resolutions go nowhere.

There are many reasons for this huge failure rate. The ones I see often are setting the wrong goals; burning out from struggling too hard; giving up quickly.

I know that N.Y. resolutions are an issue for many people, so I started planning this post months ago. I decided to make it personal and share 3 secrets that helped me quit smoking overnight – easily and after dozens of failed attempts.

These 3 manly tips will help you achieve your goals, no matter what they might be. No bullshit, no complicated exercises: this stuff is as simple as it is powerful. Read up and get what you want out of life this year.

Make Real Decisions – No More Doubt, No More Excuses

All my early attempts to quit smoking were doomed from the start because they were attempts. I was a smoker trying to quit – I never committed to living the rest of my life without cigarettes.

“I’m gonna miss cigarettes too much”; “I’ll be tempted when I go out”; “I don’t smoke that much to begin with.” I was filling my own head with reasons to fail from the beginning – and that’s why I never succeeded.

You’re probably making the same mistake. Are you thinking about all the food you’ll miss before going on a diet; the sleep you’ll lose by running in the morning; the things you won’t buy if you save more money?

If you do, you have to stop – now.

We all have full control over our actions. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head, forcing you to make bad choices. Only one person decides whether you succeed or fail in 2012 – you.

That’s right: YOU make the decisions that determine what you will or won’t achieve this year!

So if you want your resolution to stick, make real decisions. Don’t try to lose 20 pounds – just lose 20 pounds. Don’t try to find someone nice – find love this year. Don’t try to make more money – do whatever it takes to get paid in 2012.

A firm decision will destroy all the doubt and excuses your mind used to throw at you. Sticking to resolutions is very easy when you push the possibility of failure away from your thoughts.

So decide what you want and commit to achieving it. In the words of Master Yoda, “Do or do not; there is no try.”

Pay The Price

Of course, making a decision isn’t enough on its own. There’s another side to the equation – the price of success.

Nothing worth having comes easy, and you will have to pay for any resolution you set. When I chose to quit smoking, the price was a week of irritability and anxiety. Your ambitions might cost you something else. .

But no matter what your goal is, accept that success comes with a price and resolve to pay that price. Don’t be afraid: the fear of something, as they say, is always worse than that “something.”

If you’re still scared, remember: studies show that it takes 21 days for a new habit to set in. After that, it’s smooth sailing. Don’t you agree that a tough day or two – out of those 21 – is a tiny price to pay for success?

As an extension of this thought, don’t make shitty or scattered resolutions. The price of success is small, but it’s hard to pay up when you have 10 or 15 things – some of which you don’t even want – going on.

So focus and prioritize. The best way to eat an elephant is one steak at a time!

Work Through Setbacks

No matter how decisive or prepared you are, everyone screws up: it’s human nature. There’s no shame in it, but how you handle setbacks is very important.

Most people lose control when they make a mistake or are forced to break their commitment. Dieters don’t usually eat 1 cupcake – they eat 1, freak out, give up and eat another 20. Don’t make that mistake.

A setback is just that – a setback. Don’t beat yourself up; don’t start doubting yourself; definitely don’t give up.

Making a mistake doesn’t mean you have to give up on your resolution – it just means you have to get up, dust off and finish what you started.

 

 

As you can see, these tips are really simple. They’re also really, really effective.

No fancy tricks; no complicated instructions; no bullshit.

I think it’s only right. These “secrets” are really 3 principles that will turn any decision you make into a solid one. And when sticking to resolutions feels easy, the sky is the limit.

Now go out there and rock 2012.