30 Nov Why your New Year’s resolutions fail and what to do instead
Each year when the calendar strikes 01/01, I make up some New Year’s resolutions.
This year my resolution was to get Gold status on my frequent flyer program.
I had a fun time achieving that.
I’m not a fan of New year’s resolutions, unless it’s for something you can have fun with.
They generally don’t work. They give you false hope and set you up for failure.
This article is going to discuss why your New Year’s resolutions fail and what you need to do instead to achieve those things you want.
Why your New Year’s Resolutions fail…
It’s normal to want to make New Year Resolutions on big goals for yourself.
It’s even easier to do this for fitness goals with all the marketing that begins around New Year’s promising that this program will make your dreams come true.
Don’t get sucked in to the hype over the New Year period.
Yes you can achieve a lot in an 8 week challenge. And it’s great if you decide to join the gym as part of your resolution.
But how has this worked for you in the past?
Don’t keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result!
There’s a reason you haven’t been able to get the body you want or keep the changes that you’ve made from a quick fix New Year’s program.
It isn’t because you lack motivation or willpower. And it isn’t because there’s something wrong with you.
REALISTICALLY, committing to a plan for 8 weeks isn’t going to get you the results you want.
Committing to working out every day for a year isn’t REALISTIC and isn’t going to get you the results you want either.
Resolutions are usually built around unrealistic plans. This is partly why your New Year’s resolutions fail.
You need a plan that is realistic so that it’s sustainable.
And you need to be ready to actually change.
TO ACHIEVE goals you need to have a long term outlook, a proper plan and the discipline to follow that plan consistently. You need to have strategies in place to be able to accomodate life whilst sticking to the plan.
Getting the body you want involves more than going to the gym 3-4 days a week and sticking to a meal plan. If you want to keep your results for life, you’ll need to change who you are. You’ll probably also need to face some of your fears.
And you’ll have to learn A LOT of new things. These include learning what’s in the food you’re eating, how much protein and calories you need, how to deal with hunger, how to deal with cravings, how to eat out but stay on track, and how to control your mind rather than let it control you.
You have to really want it.
Wish Vs Want
There is a difference between thinking you want something and actually wanting it.
When you make a resolution, you generally don’t want it enough to go and get it. Why would you wait until January 1st if you really wanted it?
If you really want something, you’ll do whatever it takes. You’ll take the risks, you’ll invest the time or money, and you’ll push yourself to do things you never thought you could.
That’s why your New Year’s resolutions fail. But there’s more to it…
Fear
It’s common to get frustrated at yourself for not following through on what you said you’ll do.
It’s not because you’re lazy.
You likely have fears holding you back which stop you from succeeding. Until you learn what these are and overcome them, you’ll continue the stop-start cycle.
Resolutions don’t work because they don’t help you deal with the fears holding you back from achieving your goals. Stating something on paper isn’t enough. Anything is easier said than done.
The way to overcome fear is to first identify it and then take action on it. That means doing the very thing that you’re scared to do. To get rid of the fear for good, you need to do that thing you’re scared of again and again until it becomes normal.
Identity
Overcoming fears to take action is one thing. Taking consistent action is another.
Consistency is the key to achieving any goal.
That’s why a lot of diets don’t work. It’s impossible to remain consistent on them. Even if you get some results, you can’t keep them because you go back to old habits.
Everything you do is built around your habits.
Resolutions and quick fix programs don’t help you work on changing your habits. It’s easy to sign up for an 8 week program and go all out for 8 weeks knowing you can stop after that time.
To keep your physical changes you have to be willing to integrate many new habits into your regular life.
This is where your identity comes in. You have to become the person who has the things you want first.
If you don’t, you’ll keep going back to your old habits and you won’t get the outcome you want because you won’t be able to keep doing what you need to do consistently to get it.
You have to BE the person you need to be, in order to DO the things you need to do, to HAVE what you want.
If you want a lean body, you have to think of yourself as the type of person who has a lean body and chooses to do the things a lean person would do. This happens before you actually get a lean body.
That’s how you create lasting change. It’s also why you find changing your body hard and why your New Year’s resolutions fail. You work on the DOING, without considering the BEING part of the equation.
So what should you do instead?
Stop waiting and start. There is never a good time.
The best time to start something is when the timing is not ideal.
All you need is a vision of what you want. You don’t even need to write it down on paper (you can if you really want to).
The key is to take action on that vision as soon as you have it.
The initial starting motivation will get you through whatever holiday period is coming up- there will always be something. Once you get through one, you’ll be able to navigate difficult times in the future more easily.
You’ll not only know HOW TO do it, but you’ll also know that YOU CAN DO IT because you’ve already done it.
There will be birthdays and holidays all year. You may as well learn to deal with them early on when you have that extra motivation.
Then be patient!
You need to have the patience to wait for the change you really desire rather than falling for anything that won’t get you there, including quick fixes.
Who wants results that you don’t get to keep?
In the end…
Motivation doesn’t last.
Habits do.
Work on creating habits and being the person you need to be.
Choose a plan that you can stick to consistently.
Know that change is hard but it’s worth the effort if you really want it. You have to do it right though.
Otherwise you’ll find yourself starting each year for the rest of your life with the same goal as last year.
The more you believe you can do something, the more likely you’ll achieve it. Making resolutions and not achieving them isn’t helping you!
If improving your body has been on your mind for years, then it’s not going to go away.
Don’t stay stuck in the same spot wishing for things year after year.
Take the leap. Make the change ONCE AND FOR ALL.
Ps. If you need any help with achieving your best body, you can apply for online coaching here. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll get your best body and you’ll make room to work on new goals 🙂