New Year’s resolutions and goal-setting can leave a bad taste in our mouths because they remind us of bitter failures.
We once believed that we could be different and lead different lives, but a string of past failures have ingrained the belief in us that we can never change and have absolutely no control over our lives and circumstances.
But past failures can grant you priceless insights on what doesn’t work, and what you can try out instead.
I’m now following the Primal Blueprint, and have been doing so for over 2 months, with no desire to abandon it.
Having said that, I’ve gone on this diet 2 or 3 times before, but was unable to follow it for long stretches of time, not to mention all the other diets I’ve tried and failed miserably to stick to.
The success I’m experiencing now is, in a way, built on my past failures, because I’ve learned from them what went wrong and what can always potentially go wrong.
I know from starvation diets that I’m harming my body when I deprive it of food, and it always exacts ruthless revenge to get the food it so desperately needs.
I admit to losing weight a lot faster during starvation diets than I do with the Primal Blueprint, but the latter makes me feel satisfied with what I eat and how much I eat.
The first time I tried the Primal Blueprint, I didn’t know what foods I was supposed to eat! That quickly turned into a starvation situation, and I gave up on the diet before I withered away.
I also realized that I was too strict on myself and tried to stick to the diet 100%, following all its tiny recommendations (which I didn’t even know at the time).
I can look to my past failures with shame, or embrace them as learning experiences that help guide my future decisions to avoid making similar mistakes.
“Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.”
~ African proverb
Were your past resolutions unrealistic?
Were they unclear?
Did you need those around you to support you?
Did “public accountability” quickly turn to public criticism?
Did you lack the resources you needed to see your resolutions through?
Did you need to achieve your goals in stages?
Did you doubt your own abilities?
What can you learn from your past failures to better approach your future resolutions?
Think of the factors that could have contributed to your past failures and come up with ways to overcome these obstacles for the upcoming year.
You’ll be surprised by how quickly your past failures can turn into valuable resources. 🙂