When the new year rolls around, people are much more open to change. Countless people make resolutions to improve the quality of their life or their health, only to fail. Why do people abandon their resolutions, and what can they do to reach their goals?

No Follow-Through

If you decide to lose weight this year, you’ll have to change your diet and eating habits and start exercising. You can make all the resolutions you want, but they’re useless without taking the steps to make a change. Make your statement and take the appropriate action to experience the results you are looking for.

Your Environment

If you decide you want to drink less, don’t hang out in bars. If you’re trying to quit smoking, it’s also a good idea to stay away from bars, since you’re more likely to smoke when you drink. Be careful who you surround yourself with. Don’t hang out with your friend who still drinks like a frat boy if you are cutting down on your booze consumption. Old habits are hard to break, especially when you surround yourself with people who have no intention of giving up their own bad behaviors.

Your Goals Are Too Vague

If you want to save more money, make sure to narrow down your goal so that it feels more attainable. Simply stating you want to save more money is too vague, so ask yourself some questions. How much money do you want to save weekly or monthly? Will you actually track how much you are saving? What expenses can you eliminate in order to save this amount of money? The more specific you are, the more likely you are to see results.

No Baby Steps

If you have a big goal, you could feel intimidated by it and quit in the middle. Break down your goal into baby steps so you can take the actions you need to achieve it. When you start seeing the progress you are making from small steps, you are more likely to power through the rest of the actions you need to take over time.

No Support

As mentioned before, your environment is important when you are making a change. If you want to lose weight, make friends with the same goals. Together, you can cheer each other on as you share both your struggles and successes. You’ll feel inspired knowing other people are experiencing the same ups and downs as you are and feel encouraged to keep taking action to reach your goals.

Giving Up Too Easily

Have you ever noticed that gyms are flooded with new members in January but thin down to a much smaller crowd by mid-February? It seems as if most of the new members gave up on their health goals after only a few weeks. Although people often feel pumped and inspired when they first set out to make a change, they suddenly fall back into their old habits.

Here’s the thing: it takes time to build new habits. Consistency is key, so you’re probably not going to see the results you want in just a few short weeks. Keep working out anyway, and you’ll notice that it’s easier to exercise regularly once you’ve been doing it for awhile.

Too Many Goals

If you have resolved to save money, lose weight, quit smoking, quit your job and eat healthier, you may have too much on your plate. For the time being, why not focus on one goal at a time? Do you want to find a new job? What steps do you need to take to do so? You may need to write a resume, begin an online job search and schedule interviews.

If you attempt to focus on all several goals at the same time, you may feel overwhelmed and give up on all of them. Take a step back and scale back on your goals so that you can achieve each one at a time.

Failure to Look at Emotional Issues

Do you have a belief system that continually sabotages you from successfully reaching your goals? If you resolve to give up alcohol, you could look at the reasons you drink in the first place. Are you attempting to numb your pain? If you feel that you continually sabotage yourself, consider working with a therapist to help you identify your behaviors so you can make lasting, positive changes in your life.

Sticking to your resolutions is hard work, but some goals are easier to accomplish than others. If you would like to save money, consider switching to propane to fuel your home. Since 1937, DiSanto Propane has supplied the residents of upstate New York with propane. If you are looking for affordable, reliable propane services, contact DiSanto Propane today.