Why Do Resolutions Fail? 5 Ways to Invite Positive and Lasting Change

Pressure to succeed and misunderstanding discipline often lead to giving up on resolutions. Learn how to achieve the goals you set for yourself with self-kindness and acceptance.

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Is 2022 the year you finally meditate every day? Or do online yoga sessions three times per week for sure? You might be asking, “What should my New Year’s resolutions even look like in 2022?” 

We start the new year full of vigor and enthusiasm, but unfortunately the statistics on resolutions look a little disheartening: Around 80% of positive habit-change resolutions will be given up again by February. It is much easier to imagine making a change than to actually implement it—which is why it’s important to bring some mindful, science-backed strategies to your goals for the year. Before we get into the details of how to do this, I would like to invite us to take a big step back and ask, “Why? Why these resolutions?”

Learning something new, changing, improving, and growing are deep human needs. As babies, we would never crawl and walk if this wonderful curiosity and urge to explore were not innate. Change and growth can evoke deep joy and satisfaction, or we can feel overwhelmed by the pressure to perform and succeed. The difference is in the motivation. Bob Sharples, a meditation teacher from Australia, coined…