Salvage Your Resolution!

Salvage Your Resolution!

January 17th was National Ditch Your Resolution Day.

Are you as amazed and confused as me that they have actually determined a day when people are expected to throw in the towel for something that 17 days earlier they believed was worth while?

There, for sure, is some humor attached to the concept that we all realize, even at the beginning, that most resolutions are doomed to failure at the moment they are made. But there is also a sadness that we are a society so easily defeated.


In my previous post I talked about setting resolutions. So… now how can we salvage those resolutions and achieve some level of success?

First, we need to realize that the resolutions we make are not usually something that has a “quick fix”. Most of the goals we set for ourselves cannot be achieved in 17 days. So… January 17th should instead be called Rethink Your Resolution Day. It’s time to check what progress, if any, that you have made and rethink how we can complete our goal. Another important question to ask yourself at this stage is: Is this really something you want to work on? Or was it something of no importance that you threw on yourself? Definitely “ditch” those. But don’t fool yourself into thinking it was a failure if you had no real investment in it. Don’t throw that on yourself also.

Step 1 – Classify your resolution. Check out my earlier post ( https://preserveyourjourney.com/the-resolutions-road/ ). Is it a :

  • Task
  • Short- or Long-term Goal
  • Lifestyle Change

Step 2 – No matter which category you find your resolution in, they all should be broken down into small doable parts. When you are looking at something HUGE, it’s easy to overwhelm yourself and giving up becomes very easy.

If you’re looking at a Task, determine a time and day that you can put the needed amount of time and effort into it. Something like reorganizing that hall closet may take several hours. Pick a Saturday that you haven’t committed to other activities and determine to tackle this job. If you’ll need storage tubs or cleaning supplies to finish, have those already purchased and know where they are. We many times can defeat ourselves simply because we didn’t prepare for the task.

Step 3 – Plan ahead! The Goal you’re looking at of “Spring Cleaning” your kitchen might start as an evening task of cleaning the oven top to bottom. The next task might be to reorganize the cupboards – hmmm… maybe a weekend job. Follow up with scrubbing the floor on an evening. The point is to break it up into smaller, achievable tasks until your goal is complete. If the task is to clean an area before an event, start the individual tasks early enough to give yourself time so you’re not tackling the biggest portion the night before.

A Lifestyle Change is something you will work on indefinitely. For me, that’s eating healthier. This will take more time and planning. Be proactive in your smaller activities. This is something I have tried over and over and I have failed miserably. One of my biggest downfalls is motivation and belief. I truly WANT to eat healthier, but the effort needed is beyond my desire. So…. back to Step 2 – Smaller, Doable Tasks.

Healthy Eating Resolution

For my plan, I’m looking at things I can do that I don’t mind. It needs to be something within my ability that I can be motivated about. My first step is to cut back on soft drinks. And I need to be consistent about it.My eating habits frequently bring my to places where soft drinks are served and the water doesn’t meet my standard. (Unfortunately, I’m pretty picking about my water. I think that stems from growing up on a farm where our “tap” water was spring fed. Cold was ice cold and the flavor was amazing! Bottled water does not compare.) So my first task of cutting back on (notice I didn’t say “giving up on”) will begin with bringing along a water bottle with water that I like. I think this will give me the boost I need to be more consistent. And when I decide to have a soda, I don’t intend to beat myself up about it.

Will I “fall off the wagon” of soft drinks? Most certainly! And then I’ll start with my original plan and get back with the program. As I get better with the soft drinks, I’ll add in another step. I’ve started this “resolutions” so many times and have obviously failed over and over, so this time I’m breaking it down.

In a nutshell:

  • Classify your resolution
  • Break it up in smaller, doable parts
  • Set times and days for tasks that you will be able to do
  • Plan ahead and assemble your tools and supplies
  • Don’t beat yourself up!!!!!!
  • Reset and begin again if you “fall off”

Continue your Resolution Journey with new goals and expectations. Your ability to succeed rests more with your planning than it does with the enormity of it.

Chime in with your own goals for 2019. I’ll be checking in from time to time with my own goals, successes and “failures”, too. Let’s make this journey together!

32 Replies to “Salvage Your Resolution!”

  1. I specifically didn’t create goals or resolutions for this year, just because of this. If I did, I knew they wouldn’t last because I’d feel the pressure of completing the goal and get discouraged. Instead, I decided to change my mindset and focus on developing and fostering the type of behavior I’d like to see in myself. I do what I can, when I can.

  2. I love this! Deadlines! Deadlines! Deadlines! I believe that’s so important it holds me accountable and I agree with you it’s the best thing to have goals in place. It makes for a better you!

  3. Resolution doesn’t work for me. But I make goals and I had made some progress in life in chasing those goals. Loved your post. Lot of great ideas and tips.

  4. I think that people definitely don’t break their resolutions into steps. They set this huge resolution, realize 17 days into it that they really have no idea or plan to get there and give up. So nice job talking about breaking it down!

  5. It’s great to remember that we can reset as needed. A friend recommended to me to make resolutions every three months. We can create habits in that amount of time and it doesn’t leave us waiting to the next year to try again. Keep up those personal goals and reach your dreams!

  6. Making resolutions does seem to be an all or nothing kind of affair. Setting goals makes so much more sense, as they are more flexible, and these are great suggestions how to do that.

  7. I think setting reachable goals is what people forget the most when it comes to New Years resolutions. That’s why they fail. I love how this article breaks it down into manageable ways to accomplish goals. Thanks for a great article!

  8. I think it’s essential to set small goals to accomplish anything big. If you want to do something big it can be so daunting you never even start or you start and quickly give up. By setting small goals that are easy to accomplish, you can be motivated by success to keep working towards your big goal.

  9. My New Year’s resolution was definitely a lifestyle change, and I’m still going strong. I am setting smaller monthly goals, however. These goals are measurable, and I am keeping track of whether or not I’m meeting them.

  10. Yes, yes, and yes! Rethinking is definitely the solution. I’m doing 3 small things every month to slowly improve my life. Well, that’s the intention, anyway. Already, one of January’s things is being continued into February. Because it’s boring. Solution: maybe listen to an interesting podcast while doing it. Etc.

    1. Great tip, Lene. Anything we can add to continue improving ourselves is a good thing. I love listening to things while I work on tasks.

  11. I have personally never been particularly big on making resolutions, but I completely understand why many people are! These are great tips for making a resolution, and then following through and actually sticking to it. People tend to get discouraged when they don’t see immediate results, but it’s important to remain realistic when setting any resolution.

  12. Never heard of “ditch your resolutions” day. Who makes these things up? And 17 days after new years too. I’m still going strong with my resolutions and plan to do so for at least half the year.

    1. I know… right? There is something “special” now with everyday of the year if you look. Wish I had a job to sit around creating things like that. I think I could be more positive with it. 🙂

  13. I’m still hanging in there with my resolutions. However, my plan is always to start each day new. If I have a small setback one day, the next moment is a new opportunity.

  14. Excellent post. I’ve never been a “New Year, New Me” kind of guy, so I don’t really make resolutions, but I do try to make the new year a better, more productive year than the last, and your tips are definitely useful for that. Also, the not beating yourself up part is big with me, because I can be rather hard on myself.

    1. Thanks, Johnny. I think the most important thing is too not be so hard on yourself. Life is too short to be your own worst enemy…..

  15. i am not really a big resolution person, though i am a big goal/promise person. i like to make goals and promise myself i’ll meet them and then make intentions on how i’ll achieve those goals so that i have a clear picture of how to get there. great post!

  16. I am a strong believer in goals not so much resolutions. I can’t believe that this day actually exists. How terrible. I would also add to make sure that there is some sort of time limit on your goal and make sure it’s not too vague. “I want to be skinnier by summer” doesn’t cut it. It gives you too many outs. “I lost 5 pounds, that’s skinnier, mission accomplished pass the Twinkies!” Good read and good luck with your elimination of fast food. It is a tough one that I sympathize with. It’s just so easy to eat that stuff.

    1. Thank you for your thoughts and encouragements, Scott. I agree that a time limit is needed. You’re so right that vagueness is a problem. With accountability for ourselves, it’s too easy to justify a delay. Thanks for your input.

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