Dr Ntswaki B Masithela
Develop a supportive mindset.
The fireworks, well-wishes, prayers, declarations, hugs and kisses ushered us into 2018. For many, along came the New Year’s resolutions. The dawn of a new year is usually the opportune time to commit to change because it signals new beginnings. It affords us the opportunity to reflect on the previous year, note the lessons learnt and develop a new plan and strategies to tackle the New Year with recharged resolve. It becomes an exciting phase characterised by renewed vigour and determination to spiral up and achieve our personal dreams.
Generally, people become dedicated and committed to their resolutions in the first week of starting. However, various researchers point out that not many people are able to stick to their resolutions. Psychologists and researchers like John Norcross, Marci Mrykalo, and Matthew Blagys note that towards the end of the second week, the numbers start to dwindle by 30%. It gets worse as the months progress; they indicate that by the sixth month almost 50% are off the radar (Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(4), 397-405). This is evident in our everyday life; in January the gyms are filled to capacity but by the third month many people have long gone back to their old routine and have stopped going to the gym. It is around this time that the structured everyday life has fully kicked in and the resolutions slowly become elusive.
THERE IS HOPE
With all the revived zeal and energy that is experienced when starting out in the year– the question becomes – why does it then seem difficult and almost impossible for many people to stick to their New Year’s resolutions? This morning, after dropping off the car for service, I had a small chat with the driver who gave me the ride home. Out of interest – I asked him if he had made any resolutions for 2018. He responded that he did – and his response was immediately followed with “but it is so difficult to stick to New Year’s resolutions.” (I smiled, thinking about the content of this very piece of writing; at that time I had done about 95% of the write up – and was going back home to finalize it).
Various reasons are pointed out as to why people find it difficult to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. You hear reasons such as, there was not enough time, there were many things to do, the old habits were hard to break, the resolutions were too ambitious, and the famous one “life happened”- etc.
In the years that I have worked with different clients in the coaching space, the observation that I have made is that the major thing that sets itself as a barrier to people’s attainment of their desired outcomes is ……….wait for it ……..wait for it …….THE MINDSET. It is the one culprit and bottle-neck that I have found to be dominating.
MINDSET – SUPPORTIVE OR NON-SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR DREAM
Due to past programming that often happens at the subconscious level of the mind, people develop beliefs that could be a potential threat to the attainment of their resolutions – unaware. New Year’s resolutions have a lot to do with behavioural change – and the most effective way to change a person’s behaviour is to change how they think. Unless you adopt new thinking patterns and reprogramme your mind to support the new changes that you would like to incorporate into your life – the attainment of New Year’s resolution remain elusive. The critical question to ask then is this “Is my mindset developed in a manner that is supportive of my resolutions?” If it isn’t – invest in the time and effort required to develop a mindset that would support your 2018 journey to success.