Why New Years Resolutions Suck

New Year’s Resolutions are a complete joke!

In fact, I suggest that you forget about them completely and use the time and energy to actually do something constructive with your life. This is a strong statement, but it’s meant to make a VERY important point. If you are like most people, the same “goals” have been on your list for many years and they never seem to get accomplished! Does this mean that I think people shouldn’t have goals and challenge themselves in life…absolutely not. I think that’s one of the most vital parts of personal, professional, and psychological growth. However, that’s not what people do when they set a “resolution”. Here is a list of reasons why I think New Years Resolutions suck!

You are dreaming if you think you will get results!

Yes, that’s true. You haven’t set goals, you only have dreams! Real goals have specifics, time lines, action plans, safety nets, and much more. They are SMART and that’s why people who set proper goals will actually have a chance of achieving them.SMART goals combine a realistic plan with a step-by-step process for getting there. This type of preparation also considers the obstacles you will likely face and how to overcome them. So, unless you have considered all of this and created a solid plan for your New Years Resolution, you really are just “dreaming” if you think you will succeed.Keep in mind…there is a reason why upwards of 95% of Resolutions fail! What will YOU do differently this year to make sure you aren’t in that group of failures?

Losing weight or “dieting” will get you NOTHING!

People who just want to lose weight are doomed to failure forever, unless they change their approach and mindset. Let’s face it, you’ve probably had “lose weight” on your New Years resolution list at some point, maybe even for a couple decades! Maybe it was to “Get in Shape”. There are many variations, but they all lead to the same place…failure! That’s because they don’t quantify the goal AND more importantly deal with the REASONS people want to “lose weight”, “get in shape”, etc. Figuring this out will get you WAY further than setting another useless resolution this January! Have you identified the REAL reasons and drivers behind your goals? What is it that is REALLY driving YOU to make this change? Be honest with yourself! Brainstorm the “PAIN” points…those things which dig deep into your heart and mind and keep you up at night. Once you can find those factors, all you have to do is remember them and motivation will always be there for you! The next step is to formulate a crystal clear vision of what Success will look like for you. What will you FEEL like, LOOK like, ACT, like, and THINK like? WHO will you associate with, WHAT things will you DO on a daily basis?

End the “Quick-Fix” Mentality and Delusional Thinking!

This mindset is so ingrained in many people that they have no idea they are thinking and acting this way. I routinely see people who’ve been out of shape and out of shape for their entire life and they get frustrated because they aren’t able to lose weight or get in shape in a matter of weeks. If you’ve been this way for 20 years, is it unrealistic to think that 6 months, 1 year, or even 2 years is too long to reverse the abuse that your body has been exposed to? I tend to think it’s a pretty good trade-off! The other side of this coin is that people think they are in better shape or healthier than they actually are. For example, if you are 30+ pounds overweight, you are NOT fit and you DON’T eat well. It always amazes me how many overweight people sit in front of me and say that they “eat pretty well”. The fact is, you don’t gain that much weight by “eating well” and living a healthy lifestyle. Once we start looking at the diet and lifestyle of these people, the truth become glaringly clear. Once the person realizes it, we can work towards making positive changes. However, some people are not willing to understand this point and therefore continue in their self-perpetuated cycle of weight gain and frustration.

Are you a Quitter?

As with the previous point, many people fail to realize what it takes to get in shape, lose weight, and to stay that way over the long term. The further you have to travel to your goals, the longer it will take. They get a few weeks into it and realize that it takes effort, so because it’s just easier to be in their comfort zone, they quit, crawl back to their Lay-Z-Boy, and “resolve” to “try” again next year! This cycle also feeds the negative self image and perceptions of people who continually do this.On thing that many people fail to comprehend is that…if you want to maintain your hard earned results, you will NOT be able to go back to the behaviors that got you into trouble in the first place! That’s why it’s important to have a LONG-TERM plan. Otherwise you will just be another tragic victim of the “diet” roller-coaster that so many people are stuck on. When people go on a “diet” or make a “resolution”, I always ask them…”Do you want to keep this weight off/get in shape for good, or would you rather lose those hard earned results in a couple of months?” Inevitably the answer is “Of course I want to keep them!” Yet, when we analyze the behavior of most people and the whole concept of “diets, they are all structured as a temporary or “quick” fix that never addresses the root cause of your frustrations. That root cause is your long-term activity and lifestyle behaviors don’t match what is needed to provide you the body shape, fat percentage, fitness and energy levels that you desire. The solution is simple…merely align these two perspectives and keep it there over the long term!Sure, it will take some work, but find FUN things to do and back it up with a little motivation and accountability and you are virtually ensured of success!

Negative Self Talk is a Hidden Monster

YOU are your own worst enemy. It has been said repeatedly that we become what we think about most of the time. In other words, our thoughts have a direct correlation with our actions and therefore path in life. So, if you aren’t where you want to be, stop making excuses and have a deep look at your own thought and self-talk. Are you a “Negative Nellie” who sees everything as a catastrophe or personal attack? Do you make excuses for your lack of progress? Is it everybody else’s fault that you haven’t succeeded? Do you use the word “CAN’T” on a regular basis. How many negative words do you use each day?Until you change these internal factors, your external world will never be where you want it. The great news is that this change is COMPLETELY UNDER YOUR CONTROL! So, what are you going to do about it? If you don’t know where to start, contact me! Our fitness and lifestyle change programs will help you take the right steps to success.

Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

We’ve all been there before…a plan was set, we had great hopes and dreams and then something derailed us. People are lying to you if they claim they’ve never had a setback in life. The difference between success and failure is what people do in these situations. Some people get caught in an all-or-none philosophy. They over-react when a simple little lapse in commitment occurs and use it as an excuse to completely abandon their plan and goals. It is essentially self-sabotage and is VERY common in people who have been attempting to lose weight and get in shape for years (with little progress). The people who are successful realize that change is a long-term process and that there will be a few bumps in the road. Any time a setback occurs, they evaluate it, learn from it, forgive themselves, and move forward with the knowledge to overcome that setback in the future. This is the simple approach that make success almost inevitable. Just remember that failure is a great thing…as long as you LEARN from your mistakes and take actions that will help you avoid the same mistakes again in the future. If you never take chances and learn from your mistakes, you will never accomplish anything and continually be frustrated. Take a chance, buy some knowledge and speed of change by working with a professional to help you reach your goals and you will be amazed at how much change you can create in a short time!

I was once lost, but now am found!

If you don’t know where you are going, it doesn’t matter how you get there! That’s one of the key reasons people never reach their goals. They put in lots of effort, do a bunch of things, but never make any real progress. Without a clear starting point, an end point, and tangible milestones along the way, you will have absolutely no idea if you reached your destination! Though, I guess the positive is part is if you don’t know where you are going, it doesn’t matter how you get there! This is the downfall of many people and is especially true in New Years Resolutions.

Each January the gym is filled with new people wandering aimlessly through the gym, doing completely ineffective exercises, and often doing harm to their bodies. They seek no guidance (other than the latest workout from some pop culture magazine) and end up getting frustrated, injured, or burnt out within weeks. By mid February the gym is back to “normal” and the regulars can go about their normal routine.

In reality, things aren’t that complicated. These January “Health Club Zombies” could reaching their goals all year long by merely seeking some help and professional instruction with their training program, following the guidelines in this post, and putting a few simple short and long-term plans in place.

Success is a Habit…and your current habits suck!

Reaching your goals isn’t rocket science. As mentioned earlier, it’s just a matter of setting a target and taking baby steps towards that target. By making healthy changes in your behaviors, you will make success a habit.

Everyone has habits. If you aren’t happy with your health, fitness, body fat percentage, it just means that those habits aren’t healthy enough to get you to your goals. As part of the FRESH! program, we help you switch those unhealthy habits for ones that will get you to your goals…and keep you there!

One final quote to bring the point home…