Skip to main content
Close Close

Congratulations
You're on the list.

Make sure to check your spam folder so that our emails are always delivered into your inbox.
xo, Kourt
Give your inbox
and your life

the Poosh it needs.
By clicking SIGN UP, you agree to receive emails from Poosh and agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Free Shipping on All Domestic Orders.
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
  • LIFE + STYLE
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
  • KMK
Poosh
  • Poosh Your Wellness
  • instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
  • Shop
  • search
  • search
  • body
  • diy
  • fitness
  • Giving Back
  • health
  • mind
  • Relationships
  • Sexual Wellness
  • soul
Do Allergies Get Worse as We Age?
Do Allergies Get Worse as We Age?
Why Kourtney Drinks Beet Juice Every Morning Before Her Workout 
Why Kourtney Drinks Beet Juice Every Morning Before Her Workout 
The Somatic Benefits of Shaking
The Somatic Benefits of Shaking
How to Make Your Salad Less Sad
How to Make Your Salad Less Sad
Your Essential Mineral Cheat Sheet
Your Essential Mineral Cheat Sheet
WTF Are Heart Rate Zones?
WTF Are Heart Rate Zones?
  • Adulting
  • beauty
  • guides
  • Hacks
  • style
  • travel
Self-Growth Hack: Small Ways to Hold Yourself Accountable
Self-Growth Hack: Small Ways to Hold Yourself Accountable
Summer Dresses You Can Wear Into Fall 
Summer Dresses You Can Wear Into Fall 
The Poosh 30-Day Mask Challenge 
The Poosh 30-Day Mask Challenge 
The Surprising Benefits of Buccal Facial Massage
The Surprising Benefits of Buccal Facial Massage
Under $50: How to Organize Your Pantry Like a Kardashian
Under $50: How to Organize Your Pantry Like a Kardashian
Chestne Hacks Everyone Should Know
Chestne Hacks Everyone Should Know
  • decor
  • entertaining
  • kids
  • motherhood
  • Playlists
  • recipes
How to Make Pineapple + Banana Vegan Whip
How to Make Pineapple + Banana Vegan Whip
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Baked Oats
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Baked Oats
The Easiest Cucumber Salad for Summer
The Easiest Cucumber Salad for Summer
2-Ingredient Oat Tortillas Recipe
2-Ingredient Oat Tortillas Recipe
Recreating Kylie’s Crispy Sandwich
Recreating Kylie’s Crispy Sandwich
How to Make Health Nut Original House Dressing at Home
How to Make Health Nut Original House Dressing at Home
  • family
  • kourtney
Why Kourtney Drinks Beet Juice Every Morning Before Her Workout 
Why Kourtney Drinks Beet Juice Every Morning Before Her Workout 
Kourt’s Matcha Protein Bites
Kourt’s Matcha Protein Bites
The Kravis Guide to Eating Vegan in LA
The Kravis Guide to Eating Vegan in LA
Kourt’s No-Makeup Glow Routine
Kourt’s No-Makeup Glow Routine
Penelope’s 10th Birthday Details
Penelope’s 10th Birthday Details
The Most Helpful Things Kourt Has Learned Since Having COVID Again
The Most Helpful Things Kourt Has Learned Since Having COVID Again
What are you looking for?

Menu

  • Shop
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
    • body
    • diy
    • fitness
    • Giving Back
    • health
    • mind
    • Relationships
    • Sexual Wellness
    • soul
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
    • decor
    • entertaining
    • kids
    • motherhood
    • Playlists
    • recipes
  • KMK
    • family
    • kourtney
  • LIFE + STYLE
    • Adulting
    • beauty
    • guides
    • Hacks
    • style
    • travel
  • Poosh Your Wellness
  • Newsletter
instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
mind

How Are You Going to  MAKE YOUR RESOLUTIONS LAST?

By Polly Bateman
share on pinterest share on facebook share on twitter Share on Flipboard share by email
 Photo credit @endlesslyloveclub
@endlesslyloveclub

We’re all guilty of entering the new year with the greatest of intentions. We want to turn our lives around and kick-start all these healthy habits we hope will change our lives for the better.

It’s great … in theory.

But then, when we actually try to stick it out long-term, we fail. But why?

Work from the inside out

Around 60% of us will make New Year’s resolutions, but only 8% of us will be successful in achieving them. And this is because we don’t tend to approach them in the right way. Often, the biggest issue with making grand plans for the new year is that we don’t tackle these changes from the inside out.

If you don’t start by looking at the internal factors that got you into the position you’re in today, then you will be relying on nothing more than sheer willpower to change your external life. And willpower is like a battery; it needs to be restored and will eventually run out altogether.

The biggest difference between those who succeed and those who don’t, in anything, is consistency. And expecting to change purely from the outside isn’t sustainable. I always say it’s like trying to polish a turd. You can’t stay consistent that way. If the internal landscape doesn’t change, the external landscape doesn’t change—or at least it won’t change long-term.

The only way to work toward a new you is to take a long, hard look at how you became the way you are now. Now, this isn’t an exercise in beating yourself up. It’s an exercise in looking at what you really need to succeed, why you feel a need to change, and what hasn’t worked for you so far.

A turning point

In many cases, large-scale changes come about when something big happens—a huge internal shift that pushes us forward. For example, the child in school who was told they wouldn’t make it grows up with this big motivation to prove people wrong, manifesting in their hard work and success. Or the unfit dad who smokes suddenly realizes he can’t even play in the park with his kid anymore and decides to kick the habit once and for all.

It’s about suddenly recognizing something about ourselves—a turning point—be that a photo that shocked us, a death, one putdown too many, or an opportunity being waved at us. Something happens and we suddenly see something we don’t want for ourselves or something we really want. In that moment, something shifts inside us, and we start doing things a little differently as a result. And it empowers us toward success.

Ask yourself why

Say your resolution this year is to drink less alcohol. It might be easy enough to succeed at this, just changing your weekly schedule slightly. But if you can’t, and you’re finding it more challenging, you need to ask yourself why. What does the drink do for you that you’re not addressing?

When the internal isn’t shifted, the root cause of why you’re drinking more than you’d like doesn’t either, so you can’t expect the behavior to change. Ask yourself why. Is it boredom, emotional needs, a lack of inspiration, or stress? Why have you gotten to a point where you feel a need to change this about yourself? What have you lost along the way?

Sometimes, you can engage in a new behavior and feel so good about it that it helps clear this blockage. But usually, you need to unblock it first, uncover the root cause, and change the behavior that way. Your behavior and the result you currently have to live with are only the symptoms. The root cause is what you need to identify to change.

Similarly, we need to hold strong to our goals. We all say “ah, fuck it” from time to time and engage in behaviors we know we shouldn’t. That’s normal. But it’s when we don’t get back on the horse and we allow all the progress we’ve made to come undone that we stay where we are, or worse, go further backward.

If saying “fuck it” means one step forward, three steps back, it’s going to be a long time before you get anywhere, and we’ll have increased feelings of failure to deal with for not succeeding. It’s a way to ensure we feel worse about ourselves, not better. Identify what triggers you to say it. What makes you put off the changes you want to make? It might be a lack of willpower, an overwhelming sensation, or feeling worn out. But whatever it is, you want to get down to those root causes that created the situation you’re now trying to deal with.

New Year’s resolutions can be a great way to establish better habits and start the new year as healthily and happily as possible. But they take a lot of hard work and internal progress. You can’t just change a behavior overnight and expect it to stick. You need to change your internal landscape first. Once you identify why you want or need to change something, your resolutions will become a lot easier to stick to. When the internal landscape shifts, the external one soon follows.

Shop our health and wellness collection:

Shop Skin Hydration Ade
Shop Collagen Inner Beauty Boost Supercharged
Shop Well Spray Inner Beauty Support
Shop Brilliant Black Oil Pulling
Shop Abundance Journal
Shop Children's Chocolate Probiotic Hearts
Shop Brilliant Black Dental Floss
Shop Classic Over The Head Pillow
Shop Organic Matcha Bundle
Shop Matcha Gokoro
Shop Weighted Blanket
Shop Sleep Stone Mask
Shop Pink Sunshine: Raspberry Cucumber Kombucha 6-pack
Shop Queen of Cups: Guava Rose Kombucha 6-pack
Shop Upriser: Mango Pineapple Kombucha 6-pack
Shop Beauty in a Bottle
Shop Cortisol Balancer
Shop Healthy Flora
Shop Transforming Petite Gua Sha Butterfly
Shop Uplifting Gua Sha Heart
Shop The Human Being Journal
Shop The 100-Day Planner | Pink & Charcoal
Shop The 100-Day Planner | Mint & Peach
Shop The 100-Day Planner | Lavender & Coral
Shop The 100-Day Planner | Blue & White
Shop The 100-Day Planner | Black & Gold
Shop Glow Inner Beauty Essential Supercharged
Shop Well Spray Inner Beauty Support

Polly Bateman is a disarmingly humorous mindset coach dedicated to breaking down the barriers holding you back. She works with her clients to overcome past experiences and forge a new path to an authentic, fulfilling future. Join her on her “New Year, New You” course this January—find out everything you need to know here. In the meantime, you can follow her on IG @thepollybateman or visit her website at www.thepollybateman.com.

The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. The opinions and content included in the article are the views of the author only, and Poosh does not endorse or recommend any such content or information, or any product or service mentioned in the article. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.

Up next, shop the newest items from the Poosh Shop here.

You may also like...

Go to article How to Stop Overthinking About Your Crush
mind

How to Stop Overthinking About Your Crush

Go to article Feeling Anxious? Try Box Breathing
mind

Feeling Anxious? Try Box Breathing

Related Articles

Goes to article Don’t Forget Your Inner Child; Lessons in Self-Love and Support
mind

Don’t Forget Your Inner Child; Lessons in Self-Love and Support

Goes to article How to Make New Friends as an Adult
Relationships

How to Make New Friends as an Adult

Goes to article Are You Gaslighting Yourself?
mind

Are You Gaslighting Yourself?

Goes to article How to Stop Overthinking About Your Crush
mind

How to Stop Overthinking About Your Crush

Goes to article Can Swearing Actually Benefit Your Life and Relationships?
mind

Can Swearing Actually Benefit Your Life and Relationships?

Goes to article The Power of Play
mind

The Power of Play

Goes to article Yes, Crying Can be a Form of Self-Care
mind

Yes, Crying Can be a Form of Self-Care

Goes to article What’s Your Relationship With Anger?
mind

What’s Your Relationship With Anger?

  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Accessibility

Keep in Touch

instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
Reviewed by Accessible360
  • © poosh, llc
    All Rights Reserved