By: Kat Boogaard for The Muse, picture by Emma Matthews on Unsplash
Remember that burst of motivation you felt on January 1? When you sat down and thought carefully about what you wanted to accomplish and how you could improve yourself in the next 365 days?
Tell me this: Did you still have that same rush of excitement and sense of determination by January 20? Or did it quickly fade as you settled back into your same old habits?
If you fall into that latter camp, you’re not alone. If gym crowds are any indication, most people are pretty quick to abandon their resolutions. But don’t worry—I’m not going to be another person spouting advice about how you can actually make those goals stick. Instead, I’m more interested in the mentality that inspires them in the first place.
Just think—in an ideal world, we’d all be constantly operating with this desire to grow and better ourselves. We’d take frequent steps back to reflect on what was working well and what wasn’t, so we could immediately ditch ineffective habits and routines and continue to grow.
Why then, does that emphasis on development seem to only roll around once per year? Why do so many of us look to January as the singular time when we should be critically evaluating and challenging ourselves?
I connected with Melissa Gratias, PhD, a workplace productivity coach and speaker, to answer those questions—as well as to find out how you can hang on to that goal-driven mentality all year long.
