Why You Will Break Your New Year’s Resolution…

We’re now over two weeks into the new year and 29% of resolutions would have already become unstuck, according to research carried out by StatisticBrain.

Almost half of us usually make new years resolutions only for 92% to fail by year end.

Why do we fail at something that means so much to us? We evidently feel that the changes we make will make us better people. Whether that be financially, physically, emotionally or professionally, we make new year’s resolutions because we know that we could be better at certain aspects of our lives (we can always be better!).

In the chaos of the festive season, we quickly forget about everything that held us back during the previous year and pledge that the new year will be different. Just as every new day begins with the promise and excitement of possibility, only to end with parking oneself in front of the television, anxious about the next day’s meetings, the dawn of the new year also presents unrelenting possibility. So it stands to reason that our early optimism drives us to create bold goals and set the bar high, which is absolutely what we should be doing.

Why then do most resolutions fail?

One pertinent reason is the fundamental roadblocks, or ‘disablers’, that stopped us from being awesome at said area for improvement up until that point. Perhaps you didn’t have time to go to the gym (that one is often a poor excuse rather than a fact). Maybe your hectic travel schedule prevented you from getting into the habit of regular yoga classes. You said “yes” to too many new projects at work resulting in long nights and weekend work so you didn’t spent much time with your family. You didn’t perform as well as you would have liked in the office because your sleeping patterns and diet are all over the shop leaving you spent by the early afternoon. Or maybe you just have a bad attitude that needs refining.

In the above cases it is all well and good that we say we want to get fit in 2014, spend more time with family or become the office Superman (or Wonder Woman), but if we don’t change the underlying behaviours and disablers that prevented us from being these things in 2013, then all of the wishing and trying in the world won’t help us.

Once you’ve identified what you want to change, you should consider prioritising. Do we really want to get fit or do we actually prefer sleeping in an hour in the morning? (n.b. I don’t personally advocate not working out in favour of sleep).

Maybe there are other resolutions we could make that we’ll actually keep where the enablers and disablers are more likely to result in the achievement of our goal. Ever wanted to learn a language? Maybe you can use Duolingo for 20 minutes a day during your morning commute to work? Time? Work? Sleep? Money? None are an issue here. A perfect example of how actually thinking about your resolution before you make it can help you achieve it.

Some may say that this is a somewhat lax approach to resolutions, and right they may be. If you really have set your sights on the grand ol’ resolution of losing weight and getting fit and your disablers were many while your enablers, the things that help you achieve your goals, were few and far between, then you will have to influence them.

Perhaps you can get more time by using apps such as the ever popular efficiency apps and enablers such as Evernote, 30:30 or Buffer.  Perhaps you can learn to say no to jobs, work more effectively by having a focus on what actually adds value and not sweating the small stuff.

Spending too long on the morning commute? Perhaps you can negotiate working remotely or closer to home using a flexible office platform like HotDesk?

Overwhelmed with tasks and errands? Consider outsourcing creative tasks through Freelancer or everyday errands through Airtasker. If you’re not outsourcing, chances are you’re wasting time doing what someone else can do for a fraction of the cost. Not only that, but it’s time you could better spend on said resolution.

You could get better at saying no to new projects when you’re already overwhelmed or delegating tasks more diligently in the office. Perhaps you can get a better night’s rest by staying away from the internet for an hour before bed to help you get up for that morning trip to the gym? Whatever your impediments, there’s a ton of ways they can be overcome.

So before you break your resolution, identify your disablers, determine how they can be overcome, and get to work becoming one of the 8% of people who successfully achieve their resolution.

Three reasons to work closer to home

While working close to home brings with it many obvious benefits, many of us perhaps don’t fully appreciate just how large those benefits are from not only a time and financial perspective but from a mental and physical health perspective too.

A one hour commute represents about 480 hours a year in transit to and from work, that’s the equivalent to more than four waking hour weeks per year or almost 10% of your year.

The hidden dangers and pitfalls of commuting are only amplified the more time that we spend doing so, particularly if commuting by car

There’s the back pain that comes with long commutes, the high blood pressure caused by heavy traffic and congestion, the chronic stress that comes with steering through fog, rain or sudden changes in traffic and the exposure to pollutants in the air, particularly on freeways and highways.

Not only that, but the more time we spend commuting the less time we make for other habits such as getting enough sleep, exercising, preparing healthy food and perhaps most importantly, spending quality time with our loved ones.

This sets the scene nicely for our three reasons to work closer to home.

1 Save time – Even cutting down your commute by 30 minutes each way will save you 240 waking hours a year, equivalent to more than two weeks of waking time. This gives you more time to exercise, sleep, prepare healthy meals, rediscover old passions and hobbies and spend time with family and friends. 

2 Save money – RACQ[1] estimates the average running costs of a car at 50 cents per kilometer. Cutting down your distance to work by only 15 kilometres will save you $3,600 per year of your after tax income. Money that could perhaps be better invested in a holiday, a new car or perhaps invested into your mortgage which would have serious compound interest benefits over the life of the loan.

3 Be healthy – Less time in your car means less of the physical ailments that come with long commutes such as lower back pain and deep vein thrombosis as well as lower blood pressure as a result of not being stuck in heavy traffic while racing the clock to get to your 9am meeting. It also means more for personal relationships which are critical to long-term emotional and mental health.

Shared office spaces, teleworking hubs, serviced offices and co-working spaces all provide for flexible and affordable working solutions in various locations, bringing work closer to your home.

Large organisations, SMEs as well as the self employed and start-ups should consider such spaces as viable, OH&S friendly alternatives to the traditional CBD office lease, even if for only one or two days a week.

The financial, physical and emotional benefits can not be stressed enough and in the time poor, clutter and information rich digital world we find ourselves in, we need to do what we can to be not only productive but sustainable, healthy and happy.

 

Steve Glaveski is a former management consultant turned start-up writer, founder and managing director of Hotdesk.com.au, an Australian shared office space platform connecting businesses that have surplus workspace with those that need it, be it for an hour, day, week or month.

You can follow Steve on Twitter @steveglaveski

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[1] RACQ – http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars/car_economy/vehicle_running_costs_2013

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