3 things to do when your New Year's resolution fails

1/25/2021

Have your New Year's resolutions failed already? No worries! I have three ways you can move forward and succeed anyway.

So, end of January. How's it going with your New Year's resolutions?

By now most of them have been given up on, because they weren't done every day or it turned out to require so much more work or dedication than you actually have time or energy for.

But why do they have to be abandoned? Why is it a "failure" just because it wasn't achieved every day?

Full disclosure, I have not done all my resolutions so far this year. When the capitol was stormed I was so stressed out I didn't journal for days (ironically, since that would have helped, haha), and we didn't start up our international cuisine cooking until this weekend. But you know what?

It doesn't matter.

I still journaled the majority of the days this month. We still made Korean pancakes and Bibimbap, and will continue next weekend.

Just because you stop, or miss a day, or whatever, doesn't mean that it's ruined. That it's no point in starting up again.

It just means that life happens, good and bad.

Korean bibimbap in pasta bowl with chopsticks

Delicious Korean bibimbap from The Girl on Bloor!

So what you do is just keep going! You have three choices:

1. Just pick it up again and keep going

No crying over spilled milk! Just because you didn't do the good thing every day you had planned, or at all, doesn't mean that it won't benefit you to start doing it now!

It took me two weeks into the new year to have a day where I only ate healthy foods, because we had so much leftover Christmas goodies (and I have little self-control lol). That doesn't mean the whole year is ruined! I may only have gotten seven days so far, but that is an awesome start and every day that I did that was a win!

2. Temporarily modify what you're doing

If something is keeping you from your resolution right now, like your living, time, or money situation, don't just give up on it! You can adjust and build the habit in a different way, so it will be easier to do properly later!

If you're too exhausted to journal, just write one sentence.
No time to work out? Do some squats and lunges before your shower.
If you got injured from going too heavy too fast, go for a walk and stretch instead. You're still doing something fitness-related and keep building that habit!
Ate junk-food all day? Eat a vegetable or some berries. That will still be good for you, no matter what you did earlier that day!

3. Readjust your goal/s

Maybe you were a bit overambitious with your goals, or maybe it just doesn't work with your current lifestyle. That's okay! Figure out what doesn't work, and what you might be able to do to fix it!

If you can't get to the gym 4 times a week as planned, maybe 2-3 is enough and you take a long walk instead or do a quick body-weight workout at home the other days.
If you can't cook every day, meal prep on the weekend and have healthy left-overs on busy days.
If practicing a skill every day is feeling more like a chore than something fun, change the way you track it!

One bad decision doesn't negate all your good ones, and one week doesn't curse the whole year.

The thing is, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. One bad decision doesn't negate all your good ones, and one week doesn't curse the whole year.

Do what you can, when you can, and just keep working on it! Every good step brings you further to where and who you want to be. Even if you take a detour, you'll get there in the end! :)