Fun on Friday: How to Win the New Year’s Resolution Game

You know how to win the New Year’s resolutions game?

Don’t make any.

It’s as simple as that. As the saying goes, don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t write checks your willpower can’t cash. Don’t overplay your hand.

This strategy has certainly worked for me.

Here we are four days into 2019 and I haven’t broken one New Year’s resolution. Notta one!

You’re welcome! I’m happy to serve as your shining example.

Look. I could go through the motions. I could commit to quit eating donuts in 2019. It would be much better for my health. But here’s the thing. I can say it now, but it’s not going to happen.

I am not, under any circumstances, going to quit eating donuts in 2019.

I know it.

You know it.

The lady at Krispy Kreme knows it.

Of course, if I made a resolution and broke it, I wouldn’t be alone. Did you know only about 8% of people who actually make resolutions keep them? In fact, most resolutions don’t last through January. I’d bet dollars to donuts (mmmm donuts) that somebody reading this has already caved on a New Year’s resolution.

I have some anecdotal evidence that there are already a lot of resolution-breakers out there for you. I went to the gym on January 1.

Mind you, this wasn’t motivated by any resolution. I don’t do that. The gym is part of my daily routine. Remember…donuts.

Anyway, the gym was packed. There was a line of people signing up for new memberships at the desk. I didn’t even get the cardio machine I wanted. It was way too peoplely in there.

Then I went back to work out on Jan. 3. The gym was already a barren wasteland. Apparently, one day was the limit on a lot of people’s new commitment to a lifetime of fitness.

So, why do people fail to keep resolutions?

Well, they’re lazy and lack discipline. Duh!

Yeah. That’s a little harsh.

Sorry.

But it’s true, isn’t it? I mean, it is for me. I think most people struggle with discipline. But making an all-or-nothing resolution doesn’t really solve the problem. When we say something like, “I’m never going to cuss again,” well, dammit, it’s just really hard to break that habit. And the first time we slip, it’s easy to say, “Well, I blew that. No sense in even trying.”

As a HuffPo article pointed out, “When it comes to health goals in particular, all-or-nothing goals ― which are usually based on unrealistic expectations and don’t leave any wiggle room ― are a setup for failure.”

The key, experts say, is incremental lifestyle changes. Instead of giving up donuts forever, maybe I could just cut back to one donut a week.

In all seriousness, I do think there is value in making changes, breaking habits and making new starts. But it’s not just something to do on Jan. 1. We can start improving our lives on any day of the week, any time of the year. And we shouldn’t let failure derail our efforts. Unpleasant truth – no matter what you do, there are going to be failures. The key is getting up, dusting yourself off and trying again. Eventually, you will see the changes happen. After all, my commitment to going the gym didn’t happen in a day. As the Nike commercial implores: Just Do It!

While we’re on the subject of goals, have you thought about getting your investment strategy off the ground this year? Now is a good time to start. Not because it’s a new year, but because it’s now! If you never take that first step, you’ll never get to the second one. And as we’ve been reporting there are some pretty good indications both gold and silver are a bargain right now. SchiffGold’s precious metals specialists can help you get started investing in gold and silver. Give them a call at 1-888-GOLD-160. Don’t resolve to do it. Just do it.

Fun on Friday is a weekly SchiffGold feature. We dig up some of the off-the-wall and off-beat stories relating to precious metals and share them with you – with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Click here to read other posts in this series.

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