New Year, New Me? An Article About New Year’s Resolutions

If you’re a regular gym-goer, you know exactly what you’re about to read. You’ve been going to the gym on a consistent basis year-round, committing to your fitness plan and goals. December has been a wonderful month for you; the gym always seems to empty out around the holidays. But you know. You know what the first few weeks of the coming new year are going to bring. You think to yourself, “Better enjoy this while it lasts.” 

The Resolutioners are coming. 

Hide your children. Hide your loved ones. Because for the next month, empty parking spaces will be a thing of the past. Empty machines and space in the free-weight section will be a distant, glorious memory. Half of the country has committed to “getting in shape” as their New Year’s Resolution, and there’s no escaping their mass swarm to gyms across the U.S. 

But in February, you notice that while you’ve stuck to your regular gym routine, the gym seems to get emptier. March comes and goes, and the gym is almost back to normal. What gives? This post will explore the need for humans to “start fresh” by making New Year’s Resolutions, and why 80% of them fail. Our stance? New Year’s Resolutions are a great starting point to get ideas in your head about how you want to improve, but not the best way to go about actually improving yourself. Making the huge commitment that you’re going to both start something new and stick to it throughout the year is a pretty bold statement. We’re here to explain to you why New Year’s Resolutions fail, and what you can do instead to achieve your fitness goals.

Why do New Year’s Resolutions fail?

In an article by Business Insider, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert explains some of the top reasons New Year’s resolutions fail.[1] A big one listed was how specific the resolution is. Many choose vague resolutions and fail to meet them because they don’t have a specific set of milestones and goals needed for achievement. A resolution with an uncertain path is much easier to quit than a resolution with a detailed outline. If getting in shape is a part of your New Year’s resolution, this is the same as starting any fitness journey. A plan with goals is key to stick with it. 

How to solve the problem?

Instead of setting vague goals (“lose some weight,” “eat healthier,” etc.), use the New Year as an opportunity to reflect on what worked for you in the past year, and what you can fix in the coming year. While we should always be working on ourselves and reflecting whether it’s a new year or not, resolutions should be a serious opportunity to become the best version of ourselves, not to rely on hazy idea of some things we might want to change. Specific goals (“be able to bench 150 lbs. at the end of the year,” “be able to run six miles straight without walking”, etc.), challenge us while providing a framework for us to work with.

Are there drawbacks to creating New Year’s resolutions?

Absolutely. If one creates a New Year’s resolution and fails to stick with it, self-loathing might start to creep in. This doesn’t bode well for the new positive creation of ourselves for the coming new year. What to do instead? Rather than having a huge, unaccomplishable goal for the year, have bite-sized goals you can accomplish every month. If 2020 is really your year to shine, through monthly hard work, you will have achieved what you wanted come December.

A final note

While New Year’s resolutions are a great way to reflect and improve ourselves, “waiting for the New Year” to start a new fitness plan or personal development journey is not the way to do it. With hard work, sometimes we tell ourselves that we need to wait for the right opportunity. Wait for that new job, that new car, that time that is just right. The truth is, we will never be ready if we keep waiting. The opportunity is now. Whether it’s a new year or not, the moment is always right to commit to a healthier and better you.

[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-resolutions-failure-advice-jonathan-alpert-2018-12