38 •
The Lion King
• October - December 2015
Why you don’t need
New Year resolutions
By Nonso Nduanya
W
hat’s your New Year resolu-
tion? Lose weight, better
work-life balance or financial
management, get married and settle
down? This is that time of the year
when there’s so much fuss over mak-
ing New Year resolutions; quitting old
habits, cultivating new ones and set-
ting a lot of other lofty goals.
However, the question is, do you really
need New Year resolutions? A recent
research published on
-
brain.com shows that only 8% of peo-
ple who make New Year resolutions
succeed in achieving their resolutions.
Here are 10 reasons why your New
Year resolutions may not last beyond
January 31.
Not urgent enough:
New Year resolutions often
lack urgency. If you have to
wait till January 1 to decide to fix a
problem, then you are probably not
ready to fix it.
Not strategic:
Some res-
olutions are usually not well
thought through. If it does
not align with your personal vision,
chances are high that you will drop it
before long.
Not objective:
Many res-
olutions are mere fantasies.
Seriously, how do you expect
to make enough money to become
Africa’s richest man in one year!
Too Lofty:
Many resolu-
tions are so towering that the
fear of facing them or failure
is a complete put-off.
No plan:
So you have
decided that you want to
exchange your potbelly for
Chris Hemsworth’s 6-pack in 6 months.
Okay, but how do you intend to
achieve this? Without a plan, it is just
a pipe dream.
No resolve:
“Easier said
than done” is a cliché that
rings true here. Resolutions
are often empty because they lack
real resolve.
Not honest:
Many resolu-
tions are not the result of true
soul-searching. Tell yourself
the truth.
Not enough time:
Time is
no one’s friend and there will
never be enough time for all
those resolutions unless you are willing
to create the time within the year.
Lack of self belief:
If
you do not believe you can
achieve it, then you will never
achieve it. Why dwell on it; it is a waste
of your time.
Not what you want:
Some resolutions are the
result of trying to meet other
people’s expectations. If you do not
want something enough, you may
never get it.
What now?
Simple. You do not need to make
New Year resolutions just because
it’s January 1, rather, make informed
decisions on things that really matter
to you when you have to. You have
365 days to change your thinking,
make resolutions, live, love and be
happy. Do not wait until January 1 to
do it.
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