WHY YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS ARE DOOMED TO FAIL

WHY YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS ARE DOOMED TO FAIL – AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

Did you know that less than 10% of New Year Resolutions are actually achieved?

Think back to how many you’ve made over the years. Did you stick with them? Or are New Year’s resolutions always fated to fail?

When we make a New Year’s Resolution we are attempting to either establish new habits or give up or change existing ones. One of the reasons that these resolutions often fail is because these new habits are just too dramatically different from how we currently live and the change is just too much.

If you decide to do a whole lifestyle makeover in one swoop – such as give up smoking, drinking alcohol, eating rubbish and promise yourself you’re going to start a fitness class, try running 5k or get down the gym several times a week – all at once… is it no wonder three weeks later it all goes horribly wrong?

What’s happened is that we have firstly set the goals too big.  They are basically unattainable and in addition to these goals being unrealistic – we humans are also VERY impatient. Even if we do manage to stick to these new resolutions for a few weeks – we often don’t see the results we were hoping for, so we give up and tell ourselves that it’s not working, we are just too fat/lazy/built that way/addicted to sugar – or whatever, and before you know it – we slip back into doing the same things we’ve always done – and we are no nearer our goal of ‘eating healthier’ or ‘getting fitter’. We are ‘stuck’ on this perpetual merry-go-round of setting all the good intentions, doing them (or not!) for a few weeks, not seeing the (mostly) unrealistic results that we hoped for, so we give up and then we beat ourselves up…and so it goes on…

Chances are, we have also made these goals or resolutions too vague.  What does ‘get fitter’ or ‘eat more healthily’ actually look like?  In order for you to create these new habits – they need to be realistic and measurable. 

Let me give you an example:

Most people want to lose weight, but if you just say, I need to lose weight – what’s the goal?  Two stone?  Five stone?  Let’s say you want to lose five pounds over the next few months.  This is measurable, realistic AND achievable.  But if you want to lose five pounds by this Friday (and today is Monday) then that’s obviously not realistic and not achievable – unless you’re not going to eat anything for four days!  The method of losing the weight also has to be achievable, too.  Promising yourself that you are only going to eat salad for weeks on end is a promise that you probably won’t keep. Cutting out sugar or giving up your morning Latte is much more likely to work.

So,  What can you do about it? What can you do to help yourself stick to these new healthier habits (and lose that weight!)

My advice is this:

The key to sticking with lifestyle changes is think small. Anything you decide to change or add must be EASY to do for at least the first few weeks. And just because it’s easy – don’t be fooled into thinking it’s not ‘worth it’. Small changes over longer periods of time are far more powerful than you imagine. These small changes then become habits and, if you think about it, you have already created literally HUNDREDS of habits over time.

Think taking the stairs rather than the lift or walking to the bus stop. Add an extra dance fitness class to the one you already do. Swap your morning latte for a protein shake. Go to bed half an hour earlier. Or maybe an alcohol free weekend once a month? Eat a few less white carbs and drink an extra glass of water a day.  Get out in nature more often.  Sit quietly and do nothing but concentrate on your breath for five minutes every day.

These are all SMALL changes/habits that anyone can do – but best of all – they are all achievable and they WILL help towards a healthier, fitter you.

Remember to start small and most importantly, be kind to yourself, and if you need support – just ask.

Good luck and here’s to a healthier, fitter, stronger, flexible and happier you!