6 Reasons to Give Up on Your New Year's Resolutions

"I don't do resolutions," I recently heard a favorite podcaster say. I was surprised by her words because she'd always promoted goal-setting and moving forward with purpose. But she got me thinking…what is a resolution, anyway?

One dictionary defines it as "a promise to oneself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad." This tells us that resolutions aren't vows to God or signed contracts with other people. Rather, they are personal commitments we plan to keep but can choose to let go.

If you're rethinking your New Year's resolutions, here are 6 reasons you might want to give them up.

1. You're Flat-Out Tired

During the Christmas season, when the lights were twinkling and the peppermint creamer was pouring, you might have felt a surge of excitement for the new year. And in your enthusiasm, you might have made a resolution you could not keep.

If your New Year's goals are exhausting, and you feel like throwing in the towel, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

-Do I actually have the bandwidth (time, energy, resources) to complete this resolution?

-Does it fit my personality, gifts, and strengths?

-Can I tweak it to be more attainable?

-Will I breathe a sigh of relief by giving it up?

If you're flat-out tired at the thought of achieving your resolution, by all means, set it aside. But keep in mind, you can still accomplish a portion of it if you like. Instead of striving for the gold, why not be content with silver or bronze? Here are a few examples:

-Instead of reorganizing every room in the house, complete on one room or level.

-Instead of hiking that fourteener, hike shorter trails more often.

-Instead of writing an entire book, outline your chapters and perfect your intro.

By dividing your resolutions into small, achievable steps, you'll feel a lot more motivated and inspired. And if it still feels overwhelming, give it up and try something different. It's a choice you can make guilt-free.