Anyone who has ever set a New Year’s resolution knows how hard they are to keep. No matter how good your intentions are when you establish them, it’s tough to get changes to stick.
Trouble keeping a New Year’s resolution is a common phenomenon. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton found that 23% of people quit their resolution after just one week.
Here’s why most New Year’s resolutions just don’t stick:
1. Not ready to change
Those end-of-the-year activities and New Year’s Eve parties often come with pressure to declare how you’re going to change your life. And many people set a resolution based on what they think they should do, rather than what they actually want to do.
Saying you want to hit the gym more often when your heart’s not in it won’t help you get in shape. In fact, a half-hearted attempt is likely to backfire. After a few days at the gym, you might decide you’re more of a “couch potato” than an “athlete” and quit working out for good.
2. Lack of planning
A little planning ahead goes a long way toward making good habits stick. You have to answer tough questions like, “Will I have to wake up earlier to exercise?”
Mistakes are bound to happen when you’re working on a resolution. In fact Researchers at the University of Scranton also observed that people who are successful at sticking to their long-term resolutions tend to slip up (defined as the re-emergence of unwanted behavior) at least 14 times. A whopping 71% of individuals said their mistakes actually strengthened their desire to reach their goals.
Planning ahead can help you figure out how you’ll recover from those mistakes. And that’s an important part of preventing a misstep from turning into a permanent failure.
My top tips for a lasting fitness journey.
Everything you add to your life means you have to give something up. But we often only focus on what we’re gaining and forget to look at the things we’re leaving behind.
Before you commit to changing your habits, recognize what you will gain from the new habits.
- Set small targets – for example, you could aim to do Pilates 2 times a week and then gradually increase the frequency each month. In fact, after seeing the positive changes in your physique you would willingly make space for more sessions.
- Rope a friend in exercising with a friend or loved one can make you less likely to give up as quickly. You can motivate each other. This is where Move2Improve is incredibly helpful, with each of you subscribing to MovetoImprove you can do the same class at the exact same time in the comfort of your own home. And as this is an on-demand library, you can do it whenever you choose to!
- Reward yourself – resolutions shouldn’t be all about constantly pushing yourself or taking things out of your life that you enjoy in the name of fitness and Movement. Remember, life is about balance.
- Schedule rest days – you may feel motivated to start exercising daily at the start of the year, but it isn’t good for your body to be without rest. Not only can push yourself too hard lead to failure in your resolutions, but it can lead to burnout or other physical injuries.
- Don’t beat yourself up – fitness resolutions are a marathon, not a sprint. If you decide to stay in bed one morning instead of going to Pilates, there’s nothing wrong with that. Being harsh on yourself, especially if you’re someone with little history of exercising, won’t aid you in the long run. You have to be kind and understanding with yourself. Be your own cheerleader!
- Set goals that are important to you – if you are emotionally connected to your goals, you can be emotionally connected to the outcomes. It can create a greater feeling of pride and achievement if you are genuinely invested in what you’re working towards, rather than simply doing what everyone else is doing.
Join MovetoImprove today to get started on your fitness journey, we can’t wait to assist you every step of the way. There is a program for every fitness level and Pilates skill set.
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