As the last day of December ticks into January, people are likely finalizing their new year’s resolutions. Save more money, go to the gym more, eat better, lose 15lbs, spend more time with the family, etc. Take this time to think – did you write down the same things you did last year?
If you did, then you’re not alone. Health and fitness-related new year’s resolutions make up around 38% to a whopping 55% of all new year’s lists. And only 8% of those who put this on their list actually accomplish their goal.
Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail
The main reason why people fail to keep their new year’s resolutions is that they try to do so many things at once. Trying to build a single habit takes at least 21 days. Adding one more dilutes your efforts and extends each new habit’s building days. And since people treat January as this magical month of change, when they don’t see a difference, they become demotivated, ending with their goals shelved for another year.
To help make it more possible for you to achieve your goals, a lecturer at Flinders University, Dr. Carly Moores, suggests making one change at a time. If you did make a list of things you want to accomplish this 2020, don’t try and do them all on January 1st. Stagger each one’s start date – January isn’t the only month you can start something new. For bigger goals, break them down into smaller milestones and celebrate each small accomplishment.
Debunking Fitness Myths
Another reason why people do not realize their health and fitness-related new year’s resolutions is their stubborn belief in fitness myths. Some of these are:
l Eating fat is the reason why you’re overweight. No, sugar and sugar from carbs is what’s making you gain weight.
l 1-2lbs of holiday weight isn’t a big deal – you can lose it in January, so indulge and enjoy. Unfortunately, most people fail to get rid of those couple of pounds and end up 10-20lbs heavier a decade later.
What to Do
Instead of leaving your health and fitness goals in a new year’s resolutions list that’s bound to be forgotten within a month, focus on just one thing: your first step. Take a small yet still challenging thing to change.
For example: Need to lose 50lbs? Put that big number out of your mind first. Instead, look for a simple activity you can build into a habit. If you have stairs at home, walk up and down 3x a day for a week. You don’t need to check your step counter. Don’t even look at the scale in that first week. Then make it 4x a day next week, until you reach 5x a day by the end of the month.
Listen to your favorite songs, podcast, scroll mindlessly through your timeline while doing this if you want to. Make it seem like something that’s routine, something that’s very natural. You don’t even have to think about it. Then, at the end of the month, check your results.
Start Here
Making any sort of change is rarely easy, so don’t set to high a bar for you right off the bat. At the end of the day, your goal is to be healthy. It isn’t a one-time contest – this is a lifelong quest. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself – let go of that new year’s resolutions list and go for a lifestyle change instead.
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