Why you shouldn't make New Years Resolutions this year...

"Some people want it to happen, Some wish it would happen,

Others Make it Happen." Michael Jordan

It's a time of year when most people will have long since forgotten what their New Years resolutions were last year, and may already have a few they intend to set for this year. Likelihood is that many of you set a few New Years resolutions last year and stuck with them for a few weeks or sometimes only just a few days before giving up. My suggestion would be this. 

Do not set New Years Resolutions. 

This attitude only encourages people to delay working towards something. It's the 'I'll start next Monday" or "next week" or "next month" or next year" or once I've got everything else in my life sorted out attitude which stops people from getting anywhere. 

Face facts, the stars are not going to align and everything will never be perfectly suited to you getting going with whatever it is you are setting out to achieve. Successful people are the ones who do not need everything to be perfect to get started. They just get going.

Successful people do not need a tradition like setting New Years resolutions to enable them to move forward. They start right away. 

If your goal is important to you, GENUINELY important to you then why waste time? Your time on this planet is very short and time only seems to go more and more quickly the older you get. If for example you want to be fitter, healthier, in better shape, and it makes you in some way unhappy that you are not then think carefully about what is actually stopping you. It is never ever too late to get what you want, and there are some fantastic inspirational people out there who have gone after what they want very late in life and never given up. 

 Chances are the only thing between you and achieving what you want to is you and your attitude towards life. When you strip back all the excuses, and make yourself fully accountable for what you achieve then you will get somewhere. 

One of the most frustrating habits these days is people 'searching for motivation'. For some reason everyone has to find motivation before they do anything. People use the excuse of 'not being motivated'. That's just a kinder way of saying "I'm currently too lazy to start work on this”. 

Motivation is not a problem. Motivation takes two seconds, if you are overweight or unfit the benefits from not being in that physical state are obvious and are clear motivation. The problem is not motivation, the problem is your attitude and the inability to follow through with your initial goal. 

I advise you to go on YouTube and listen to Mark Bell's speech entitled 'who are you?', and really think about it. Do you want to be someone that if someone else was to describe your character they would say you are lazy and struggle with 'motivation' or would you rather be someone that inspires others because of your strong will and determination? Everyone is capable of inspiring others and many will without knowing it. 

So when it comes to New Years Resolutions, maybe try to recognise that just because it's going to be 1st of January, nothing has changed. You are still the same you and the world is still the same place is was before. Don’t be part of the same inevitable cycle of making and breaking resolutions. Change your thoughts and good intentions into action this time, and why not start today?