HOW TO SET ACHIEVABLE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS!

In this episode of 3 Point Inspiration, we dive into why New Year’s resolutions often fail and what you should do instead to achieve lasting success in 2025. Did you know that 88% of resolutions fail before the end of January, and the second Friday of the year is famously called "Quitter's Day"? Don’t be part of that statistic! Instead, learn three powerful strategies to transform your year:

1. Define Who You Want to Become – Discover why focusing on identity rather than outcomes is the key to sustainable habits.
2. Be Realistic with Your Expectations – Learn how to start small, manage your priorities, and avoid burnout.
3. Set Systems Instead of Goals – Find out why systems and habits are more effective than rigid, outcome-focused goals.

This episode has practical tips and insights to inspire you to embrace personal growth and lasting change. Tune in now, and let’s make this your most successful year yet!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a comment about your focus for the year. Let’s build a community of action-takers together!

Transcript

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS ( BUT DO THESE INSTEAD)

Did you know that each year, 88% of New Year's resolutions fail before the end of January and that the second Friday of January is called "Quitter's Day" because it is the day most people start giving up on their New Year's resolutions?

 In this episode, I will share three things you should focus on instead of New Year's resolutions if you want to achieve success in 2025.

NUMBER ONE, DEFINE WHO YOU WANT TO BECOME. 

  Sally determined she would finally get her act together this Year. She would exercise more, eat healthier, save more money, and be happy. She reactivated her gym membership on December 30th, drew up a menu planner each week for the whole Year, and planned to save as much money as possible from her salary.

Throughout the first week of the Year, she went to the gym daily for 45 minutes and had intensive workouts. She followed her menu plan and was on track to save more money. But then, on the second Friday of the Year, she woke up slightly tired with a headache. She knew she could not go to the gym and stayed in bed. It's been 10 days since Sally went to the gym, and she has lost the motivation to continue. She has not followed her menu planner but mainly eats junk food now!  What has happened to Sally? 

She is just like every one of us. She genuinely wants to change and live a better life, and she believes that the beginning of the Year will be the best time to set goals. But she was wrong because New Year's resolutions do not work for most people! The question is why they do not work.

 To answer the question, we take a cue from Atomic Habits by James Clear. He says there are three layers of behaviour change: outcomes, processes, and identity. The first layer is changing your outcomes. For example, I want to lose weight, have more money, etc. The second layer is about changing your processes. For example, I will implement a new gym exercise routine: walk up the stairs rather than take the lift. Etc. The third layer is about changing your identity. E.g. Your beliefs and your judgments about yourself and others. That's where the change happens.

 The secret is to start changing a habit (which New Year's resolutions always try to do) by focusing on who you wish to become rather than what you want to achieve or how you want to achieve it because any behaviour that is not consistent with what you believe will not last. 

 Your goal should not be to activate your gym membership but to be healthy. What do healthy people do? They exercise. Your goal should not be to learn an instrument but to be a musician. What do musicians do? They play instruments.  Once you decide to be an investor, a runner, a musician, etc., your habits will automatically work to align with your beliefs. Let me know in the comments who you wish to become this Year.

 NUMBER TWO- BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR EXPECTATIONS

One of the problems people have with their New Year's resolutions is managing the pressure of changing too many things simultaneously. Change is difficult, and more so when it concerns habits you have accumulated and practised over the years. Most people want to save money, go on a holiday, start a new life, throw all their old friends away, lose 20 kgs, etc. 

 Having all those goals at once will most likely lead to failure to achieve any of them. Instead, try focusing on what is most important for you now. Maybe you should stop eating too much junk food, which makes you feel lazy and bad about yourself. Maybe you should stop pressing snooze when the alarm goes off and makes you go late to work most days. Maybe you should stop ignoring your health and visit your doctor when you have an appointment.

 Don't think of running a 50k marathon when you have not walked 1 kilometre around your neighbourhood! Don't think of a $20k holiday to embark on when you know you don't have the money. Don't think of reading 52 books in a year when you have not read for 5 years and have work and family to balance.

 Start small and be realistic with yourself. If you cannot read a book in a week, read it in a month. If you cannot save 1k monthly because of other commitments, save 100. If you cannot go on a holiday overseas, go somewhere local where you can still have fun. 

 Hey, before I reveal the third thing you should focus on, let me know in the comments what simple things you will embark on this Year.  

 NUMBER THREE- SET SYSTEMS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO ACHIEVE GOALS

Goals can be incredibly limiting. Setting a specific goal risks creating a narrow focus that stifles your creativity and long-term growth. You become so fixated on achieving a particular outcome that you forget to consider alternative solutions or paths that might be even better. And what happens when your circumstances change and your goal is irrelevant? 

 For example, if your goal all along was to learn how to code, what happens if coding is no longer the hottest thing? You should be living at your maximum capacity and not limiting yourself.

 Goals can also lead to an overemphasis on outcomes rather than processes. You can become so focused on achieving the goal that you forget to enjoy the journey, to learn and grow from the experience. When you finally achieve your goal, you might find that the sense of fulfilment is short-lived because you haven't created a system or habit that will continue to drive you forward. You might be left feeling empty and unfulfilled, wondering what's next.

 Rather than focusing on specific outcomes, you should build systems and habits that drive you towards your vision. This approach recognizes that success is not a destination but a continuous process of growth and improvement. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, you can create a sense of momentum and motivation that will carry you forward, even when the journey gets tough.

 This Year, focus on the systems that will make you exercise even when you don't have the motivation to do so, systems that will make you save money even if you have the temptation to spend all you have, systems that will make you eat healthy even if you have all the junk food in the world in front of you.

 Thanks for listening, and let me know in the comments below what your focus will be this Year. 

Please follow the channel, like, and share this episode if you find it valuable. If you want to learn more about the strategies of successful people, listen to my other episodes. 

Always remember, with God, all things are possible. I'll see you in the next episode. God bless you.