One of the top New Year’s Resolutions, year after year, is getting healthy and fit. Most often, it involves losing weight. Billions of individuals declare, that the New Year will be the year they not only lose the weight but keep it off. When January arrives, determined individuals flock to gyms and weight loss centers. Motivation runs high for the first couple weeks then begins to wane. According to recent New Year’s Resolution statistics, 25% of those who make resolutions, drop off after one week. After two weeks, the number increases to 29%. By the end of January, drop offs have increased to 36%. After six months, drop offs have reached 54%. Why is it that New Year’s Resolutions fail for the majority?
Good intentions alone will not produce results. They must be followed by a solid plan and specific action. For example, stating that you’ll lose weight by eating healthy and going to the gym, sets the intention, but doesn’t give you a roadmap to get there. What does eating healthy really mean? Do you incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet? Do you focus on portion control? Does it involve counting calories? There are not enough specifics to provide guidance and accountability. The same applies to going to the gym. What does that look like? Do you spend 30 minutes lifting weights? Are you jogging on a treadmill? Maybe you’re taking a weekly spin class. Bottom line, your actions must be specific. What are you going to do? When are you going to do it? How often will you do it? Does your plan involve another person?
When goals / action steps are unrealistic, Resolutions fail. Many individuals, when starting on a health and wellness journey, set unrealistic expectations. For example, the weight loss expectation may be to lose an unrealistic amount of weight in a short period of time. This will set the individual up to fail. Whereas, setting small, specific, realistic goals will set the individual up for success, creating positive reinforcement to continue with the behavior.
Resolutions often fail because the mindset is not there. You may want to lose weight and get fit. However, if your mind is telling you, “I’ll never lose weight, I’ve always been chunky,” you will not be successful. Our mindset forms our belief system which drives our behavior. There has to be belief that reaching the goal is possible. Many individuals struggle with fear of success. This mindset sabotages the best of intentions. Creating a positive, growth mindset takes work. When I work with clients, before we set goals and create an action plan, we focus on mindset. We take a deep dive into the emotions that are driving mindset and behavior. Often, my clients discover they have limiting beliefs, developed from childhood, that are sabotaging their efforts to be successful. Once these beliefs are recognized and accepted as untruths, they can be replaced with helpful, encouraging thoughts that will drive positive behavior change.
If you’re tired of being a failed statistic, when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, and are ready to slay your goals in the New Year, I invite you to book a complimentary discovery call. I’d love to help you make 2022 your best year ever!
