Stay true to your New Year’s Resolution!
New Years Resolution – “res·o·lu·tion”
[rez-uh-loo-shuhn]
noun
1.a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.
2.a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
Basically, it is safe to assume that a New Years Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to one or more lasting personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit…. that just so happens to be in the first month of the year..
Without getting into the “why’s” or “why-not’s” of individuals and their reasoning for starting a resolution, I’d rather pick apart the top reasons individuals fail at succeeding to make it an actual “resolution”.
According to the Wall Street journal, 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, while only 12% actually achieved their goals. A separate study in 2007 by Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol showed that 78% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, and those who succeed have 5 traits in common. We’ll get into those 5 traits later…
First, Why do people fail in the first place? I’m going to list the top 5 reasons I believe people fail in successfully accomplishing their New Year’s goals:
1.) Unrealistic goals…
It is my experience as a fitness director and in meeting hundreds of overly ambitious exercisers each year that people are set up to fail in today’s greedy, instantly gratified society. We want a magic pill that works wonders and works them fast! Guess what, that extra body fat didn’t come on overnight, and it surely won’t come off overnight…
Solution:
Talk with a professional (ie: Personal Trainer) about safe and effective methods to weight loss. Tip: Be wary of the information your m.d. passes along as well… especially if it includes a prescription… ahem… magic pill…
2.) Lack of Personalization…
What does this resolution mean to YOU? What will it mean to accomplish it? Who are you doing it for? How will you feel when you accomplish it??
If you aren’t sure of the answers to the questions above, chances are this resolution is not for you (or maybe not specific enough just yet)
Solution: You must want it badly enough that you can almost taste it. This means your efforts are much more likely to be sustained in the face of adversity. Post motivational quotes around you at home and at work to keep your eye on the prize. Talk it up on Facebook or other social networks for accountability from your friends. Jot down the pros and cons of your reasoning for your particular resolution…
3.) Forgetting to review and recalibrate…
ever heard the old saying “It takes 28 days for something to become a habit”?
I’m not sure it doesn’t take even longer than that it some cases. I think when it comes to health and fitness goals, it takes several months for things to stick and responses to show. This may be why people fail early… they give up early…
Solution: Be consistent. Practice, Practice, Practice makes perfect. Did you know athletes constantly test, practice, test, practice, re-test, re-practice… ah you get the idea. They do it A LOT! this is because they are constantly re-evaluating their results. In your case, things may crop up later in the year that try to divert your attention away from your goals. revisit and remember what you were thinking when you originally set your goal. Be honest with yourself with your results and you will go much further. A good rule of thumb is to check in every 2 weeks and your chances of staying on course will improve drastically.
Yours in Fitness,
Jessica Williams cpt