Why You Should Make Decisions Even When You Know You Will Fail?

It’s time to reframe February 28 as Decide Day — a date that reminds us to think, review, and do the serious work of asking ourselves, “If something isn’t working, why not?”

There are two truths to New Year’s resolutions: Many people make them, and many disagree with them. Research suggests that approximately one in four Americans make decisions, but overall, those decisions don’t stick. Studies show that as the days go by in January and February, visits to the gym decrease and visits to fast-food restaurants increase.

January 1 inspires a lot of interest and encouragement — new year, new you! But after a long time, the energy we feel about the novelty of the new habit wears off. New year, like you.

I’ve been studying happiness and good habits for years. In my observation, many people have given up New Year’s resolutions by February 28 — a day we might call “Frustration Day,” although I’ve seen harsher terms like “Quitter’s Day” or Fall Off the Wagon Day” to describe the day off.

Consider someone determined to run daily before breakfast. On January 1, the habit seemed new and rewarding for a few weeks. Maybe the runner started with a 31-day challenge and ran every day in January, no problem. It takes 21 days to form a habit, right? (False. This is a myth.) After several weeks, the practice became more complex, more days were skipped, and before long, the running stopped. So by the day of frustration, many people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions. And because they fail, they feel frustrated and guilty.

Here’s my suggestion: Instead of a day of frustration, let’s reframe February 28 as a day of choice — a date that reminds us to think, revise, and do the serious work of asking ourselves, “If something isn’t working, why not?” If we’re determined to keep our resolutions, we must fear failure. We have to stop, notice and learn from it to keep going.

We all constantly receive expert advice on achieving our goals and being our “best selves”: do it first thing in the morning! Cut out the sugar! Give yourself a cheat day! Start small! Go all in! Please put it on the calendar!

But Here’s The Thing: Every Approach Works Well For Some People.

A scientist testing a hypothesis, a chef serving a new dish, or a marketer paying for digital ads knows that testing is essential. What works and what doesn’t? No judgment. Just a question. For this reason, we can succeed in failing in our decisions — if we take advantage of that failure to reveal essential truths. The runner stopped running, but why? On February 28, we can consider this question and remain determined to try again.

Maybe the morning workout was tricky because the runner is a night person who can barely get up in time for work — so on March 1, I tried running in the afternoon. Perhaps the runner needed outside accountability, so he started running with a neighbor. Maybe the runner hates cold weather, so he switches to an inner cardio routine.

Also, there is often a gap between what we can do in the short term and what we can do in a long time. Many people start their New Year’s resolution with unrealistic expectations. “I’ll run every day, no breaks unless I’m sick or injured!” While it is possible, and even exhilarating, to maintain this intensity in the short term, it may be unrealistic for a long time. But after such a strong start, tweaking that decision can feel like a compromise or a failure, so we give up instead of cutting it back.

However, suppose we embrace February 28 as enthusiastically as January 1, as a day of evaluation and experimentation. In that case, we can view our struggle as a predictable and valuable step in the process of changing habits. What works, what doesn’t work? What approach might work best?

Different tools suit different people. If one of the methods does not serve you, this does not mean that there is something wrong with you. I don’t need to change — it’s doomsday. Change your surroundings and posture; Experiment until you find the method that works for you.

Resolve Day is also an opportunity to reflect on the value of a new habit. It’s easy to focus on the effort that a new pattern requires, but to keep us active, it pays to think about the rewards of the habit. Regular exercise boosts a runner’s energy throughout the day, improves sleep at night, and makes it easier to sit up through endless video calls. After all, we decide not to make some decision, but because we have identified a way to make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, or more creative. By reminding ourselves of the benefits we have gained, we help ourselves stay on track.

And even for people who still maintain a resolution by February 28, Judgment Day is practical. Usually, we mark the first day of solution and keep the finish lines—thirty days of yoga. January is dry. National Novel Writing Month. Whole 30. But for the most important habits, there is no finish line. Thirty days of running is a satisfying milestone, but it’s just one of many milestones in a lifetime of exercise.

February 28 can be a reminder to record an important event. It’s day 59 — congratulations, keep it up. Every year, New Year’s Day on January 1 is the subject of great fanfare and hope, but he over-promises and fails to deliver. By shining a similar light on Decisive Day on February 28, we can give ourselves the self-insight and energy we need to keep going.