Every year, the story is the same. Regular gym goers will watch in baffled bemusement as every treadmill, exercise bike and weight equipment are occupied by new members in shiny new workout clothes, huffing and puffing with the fervour of the newly converted.
Many of the seasoned exercisers will go home and bide their time, waiting for the inevitable end-result. Which is that exactly a week later, this new crowd would have thinned out, leaving just a few of the more determined new year converts.
This number will disappear by the end of January, and it will be back to business as usual. When it comes to exercising more in the new year, the only winners are gym owners who had the good sense to set up minimum fixed term contract payments.
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It is often said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and new year resolutions are no different. For many of us, a new year is a good opportunity to take stock of the previous year and prepare for the new. It is a time to resolve to do better, be better, and reach for loftier goals.
The part many of us forget, however, is that changing lifelong habits requires more than a few pretty pictures on a vision board. It requires unlearning old habits, learning new routines, safeguarding the routines from falling off when they get difficult or boring, and then building in consistency till you get to the point of success.
New year resolutions fail because simply speaking a word into existence does not necessarily translate into success.
Resolutions fail for several reasons: firstly, we focus on things we would like to do, not things we ‘must’ do. The ‘why’ behind the resolutions are seldom strong enough, so once they become difficult or boring, we lose interest quickly.
Secondly, we try to keep our new year resolutions to ourselves – because of either a fear of failure or mockery. Thirdly, our resolutions fail for lack of planning. “I really ought to lose some weight this year” will never get going. Planning ensures that all necessary adjustments are sketched out ahead of time, along with an understanding of potential challenges. You have to schedule meals, exercise regimes and yes, cheat days! Otherwise, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. Finally, self-doubt is the dark cloud that hangs over our ambitions, often ensuring we fail before we ever started.
The million-dollar question, then, is: how does one form behaviours that turn new year resolutions into accomplishments and routines embedded in one’s character? The answer is in our habits. From the mundane to the monumental, habits shape our days, our accomplishments, and our very identities.
Start with a very small habit so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Rather than running on a treadmill for thirty minutes, do just five minutes. Make your new habit easy enough that you don’t need motivation to get it done.
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Next, increase your habit, a little bit a day. Make your five minutes, six. Make your five pushups, six. Your stamina will improve, and your willpower and motivation will increase. Look at you, crushing goals!
As you push yourself, break your new habits down into manageable chunks. By the time you’re required to do fifty pushups, there’s no law that says you have to do them at the same time, right? So do five sets of ten throughout the day so you don’t get tired or become demotivated.
There will be days where you’re simply unable to stick to the plan. Be kind to yourself, but get back on track as quickly as possible. There’s a saying, “Never miss twice” – a large pounded yam and egusi blowout is fine (because what again is this life?), but get some balance the very next day. Be patient and aware of the overall transformation you’re experiencing, not just dwelling on the bad days. You don’t need to be perfect, just consistent.
Ask yourself: what do you want? How badly do you want it? What are you willing to do to acquire it? Then put in the work.
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In transforming resolutions into concrete realities, the secret lies with you: your tenacity and perseverance. It’s in the daily commitment and the steady rhythm of consistent actions, that resolutions turn into ingrained habits. Embracing the small wins as well as the difficult days take resolutions from fleeting intentions to becoming enduring parts of your character and daily life. Rome was not built in a day, and a year is plenty of time to start something amazing. Begin today.
Rachel Onamusi, founder and CEO of VN Sync, is a seasoned digital media strategist with a global footprint, specializing in comprehensive services from marketing consulting, brand management, and product launches to political campaign media and technology training.
