January 1st was the day that so many people waited for to try something new in hopes to change their lives. Instead of starting what they should have months ago, they put their hopes and dreams off for this week. But, as much as these people want January 1st to be a clean slate — a new chapter in a new book — life doesn’t work this way. The same problems that you encountered on December 31st, 2016, are the same problems that you dealt with on January 1st, 2017. Just because a calendar flips over to a new year doesn’t mean that issues go away. In fact, for the months that people put off the necessary, their problems — and lack of self-discipline — only grew.
Maybe this resonates with you. Maybe every year the calendar changes over to another year and you have every intention to make things better, yet your life remains the same. But there are a few key reasons that this is a common occurrence, and here they are: 
1. You keep holding on to the wrong goals. 
Listen, if you’ve had the same goals for the past two years, and you still haven’t put a dent in them, it’s either time to get serious about these goals or get rid of them to make room for goals that you will actually work towards. There are so many frustrations that lie around having the wrong goals, and the easy fix is to be reminded that you get to choose what you put your time and effort into. Find what you are devoted to, choose your goals accordingly, and stop being disappointed in yourself.
2. Your expectations are too high. 
Having high expectations is great, but having too high of expectations is unhealthy. You need to be realistic with your timeline, because it is only when you do this that you can be happy with your results. This used to be my biggest weakness, but when I truly came to terms that there are only 24 hours in a day and that my goals will still be there when I come back to them, the workload I placed on myself lessened and my approach became much less stressful. You may have the right goals, but it could take you longer than you think. When you learn to not look at a long timeline as a problem, life becomes much more enjoyable.
3. You neglect the necessary habits. 
Of course, results don’t just fall in your lap. It requires a commitment to good everyday habits to make them happen. The question is, do your habits match up to achieving your biggest goals? (And if this is where your issue lies, I have an eBook to help you with self-discipline when you sign up to receive emails from me.) My best advice with this step is to take small steps towards your goals. No, you’re not going to win your goals in a day, but your daily habits over time will help you accomplish what you really want to.
4. You don’t have the right people helping you.
None of us are self-made people. We’ve all had people who helped us get us to where we are. And those who we allow closest to us influence us most, and many times, people have the wrong people closest to them. If you need more encouraging friends, find them. And if you need a trainer, coach, or consultant, hire them. You being able to accomplish your biggest dreams is always worth the extra effort in finding them.
Now go and stop dealing with the same problems, today.