New Year's Resolutions

 

I didn't make any resolutions to start this year.  That doesn't mean there aren't areas in my life that need improvement, but I do my best not to wait until January 1st (or Monday) to readjust.  I just Googled "how long do new year's resolutions last?" and there were over 300 million results!  Here are just a few:

How long do New Year's resolutions last? 43% of all people expect to fail before February, and almost one out of four quit within the first week of setting their New Year's resolution. Most people quit before the end of January, and only 9% see their resolutions through until succession.

 

Although New year's resolutions are popular, they are not always successful. According to U.S. News & World Report, the failure rate for New year's resolutions is said to be about 80 percent, and most lose their resolve by mid-February.

 

A new poll of 2,000 Americans found that it takes just 32 days for the average person to finally break their resolution(s) — but 68% report giving up their resolutions even sooner than that. In fact, one in seven Americans never actually believe they’ll see their resolution through in the first place.

I know that some people make resolutions as a joke just to see how quickly they can break them.  Others fail because they make unrealistic resolutions or don't have a plan.  Two years ago I desperately needed to lose weight.  I knew what had worked for me in the past and with a lot of patience and determination, I stuck with it.  Last year was about keeping it off and this year is more of the same.  My personal healthy eating journey has always included treats, usually in the form of chocolate.  I'm sure I could have lost weight more quickly, but it was about more than just weight loss.  Any change needs to for a long term difference.

I receive a weekly email from TrainingPeaks and there are a couple of articles I wanted to share. The first one came a few weeks ago. "4 Common Weight Loss Mistakes to Avoid"  The article was actually about weight gain during the holidays, but I thought the information was great for anytime.  The author trademarked an acronym for D.I.E.T. that I really like ~ Disaster Imminent Every Time™!  The disaster happens when we set an unreasonable goal and try to do it in an unreasonable amount of time.

 

The second article is "4 Steps to Achieving Your New Year Goals."  While this article focuses on racing season for runners and cyclists, the principles are applicable.  A key statement, "Remember that great performance doesn’t require perfect preparation; more often, intelligent adjustments in the face of setbacks make the difference."  Setbacks will come, no matter what your goal, but adjust and keep going.

I think Henry Ford summed it up perfectly: