Why New Year’s Resolutions Are Stupid

I love my gym. I typically go mid-morning and it’s rarely, if ever, crowded. The people who are there at that time are serious, dedicated, and consistent. You don’t have the overcrowding, fighting for equipment, annoying cell phone use, and idle chit-chat that goes on during a gym’s “rush hour” before and after work, and on weekends.

Fast-forward to today. The place was PACKED. And we all know why.

It’s the New Year’s Resolutions crowd.

Now don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing inherently wrong with New Year’s Resolutions. Resolutions are just another form of goal setting, and setting goals is a good thing. After all, you can’t get something unless and until you define what it is that you want in the first place.

The problem with the New Year’s Resolutions crowd, however, is that few of them, if any, will follow through with their resolutions. This will be obvious in the gym two or three weeks from now, when they’ll have all but disappeared.

Most people I know who come up with New Year’s Resolutions are the type of people who don’t follow through with things. They’re not consistent, and if there’s anything I’ve learned on my own journey to success, it’s that consistency is everything.

Whether you want business and financial success, or you want to get in shape, or you want to improve your relationships with others, the key is to work on these things consistently.

I’ve explained in the past that top sales professionals don’t care what day of the month it is. They don’t change their activities if it’s the first day of the month, or the last. They consistently do the same things each and every day, and that’s why they’re on top.

And that’s what the New Year’s Resolutions crowd needs to understand. Consistency = success. Lack of consistency = failure.

People who are in great shape know that you don’t do a diet or exercise program for a few months and then go back to your old ways. It’s a permanent lifestyle change.

People who are successful in business know that you don’t work hard for a few months or a few years and then reap the benefits. You make permanent changes instead.

People who are in wonderful relationships (as I am) know that you don’t woo someone for a few months and then get lazy and indifferent, as all too many couples do. Those who are in happy relationships know that you love someone with all your heart forever, not just at the beginning.

Remember, consistency is everything. Without consistency, you have nothing. So forget about those silly New Year’s Resolutions, and instead resolve to make permanent changes in your life to improve!