New year resolutions

This is completely non-market related but I wanted to share my thoughts on this topic.

This is the time of the year where we make resolutions to improve ourselves. Most of the time we end up failing to follow through and make the same resolution the next year. So why is it do we fail at improving ourselves all the time?

For example, most smokers have a hard time quitting. Year after year they try but fail and the ones who quit go through a few unsuccessful attempts first. Why is it that they fail? Is it lack of willpower? Perhaps. Lack of discipline? Perhaps. But the biggest factor is a lack of fear of the immediate consequences that result if they fail. They know smoking causes cancer but that's a long term consequence. What happens when we don't follow through with a resolution? Nothing....at least immediately....we remain at status quo. "Ahh...I'll try again next year" is the typical response of a failed resolution. Humans tend to focus too much on the short term and not enough on the long term.

Let's go back to the smoker again. If that smoker had a gun pointed to his head and to the heads of his children at all times which would get fired if he took just one puff of a cigarette, you can guaran-damn-tee 100% he will quit cold turkey instantly no matter how much he smokes a day or for how long he's been a smoker.

Motivation....it's all about proper motivation. We are not motivated enough to achieve our goals to improve because if we don't there are usually little/no immediate consequences. But what if guaranteed immediate death would be the consequence if we failed to achieve any goal we set for ourselves? I know this sounds creepy, silly and extreme but think about it....nothing could motivate you more....you would probably achieve every goal you set out for yourself!

Aside from the "gun to the head" method, the best way to achieve success is to focus on the LONG TERM consequences of failing to achieve the goal and act as if these consequences would be IMMEDIATE if we fail to achieve our goal by the deadline we set. We need to feel some sort of desperation....as if our backs are up against the wall. I know it's cliché but it's all in your mindset. Think about sports. When a team is down by a goal with 5 minutes left in the game that's when they tend to play their best. Think about this big push for climate change...only in recent years has the world began to seriously acknowledge that major steps in reducing greenhouse gases need to be taken because if we don't do so IMMEDIATELY, it could be too late to avoid serious consequences for future generations. Why didn't anyone really care 20 years ago? Lack of motivation. We all knew the long term consequences of manmade greenhouse gases but it wasn't an immediate threat at the time.

It's always the same...we as humans tend to act swiftly for change only when we are forced to and sometimes by then it's too late. If we could learn to focus on the long term consequences of our actions or inactions and take swift, desperate action now, we would be much more successful in achieving our goals and avoiding future problems. I for one am guilty for doing things at the last second which makes me end up being late and disorganized which drives my wife crazy. My new year's resolution is to stop this bad habit...anyone care to point a loaded gun to my head for a year?