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Why I don't bother with new year resolutions (and what to do instead!)
December 16, 2020 By Autumn Calabrese
This is right around the time when people start planning their 2021 New Year resolutions. So much so, that AskMen reached out to me to find out what my resolution was.
Needless to say, my answer surprised them...
"My New Year's resolutions for health/fitness are the same this year as every year - NO RESOLUTIONS! In fact, I'm asking people I work with to make a pledge this year to NOT make any resolutions. I don’t believe they work because most people don’t stick with them longer than a few weeks. Instead, let's set goals, in fact, let's set several goals. Big ones that will take some time to achieve and small ones that will help you achieve the big ones. And start now. Expect there to be triumphs and setbacks. If you’re truly serious, if you’re playing to win, you don’t wait for the first of the year to start working toward your goals. And you never stop working to achieve them. That said, my own personal goal is to continue to help people improve their lives and I believe my newest program ‘9 Week Control Freak’ is one of the tools that people can use for an all-encompassing wellness solution."
I don't believe in resolutions, but, I am a big believer in working to better yourself ALL.YEAR.LONG.
We don't have to wait for ONE day a year to make a commitment to ourselves to do better, to try something new, to give up something bad, to work a little more or a little less. That’s the beauty of life. We wake up every day with a brand new start. Each day is a chance to choose something better for yourself.
Plus, we all know how unsuccessful New Year’s resolutions are. Barely anyone keeps them. In fact, let's get nerdy for a second...according to Forbes, only 8% of people achieve their resolutions. Add to that the astonishing figure of only 3% of people being successful in long-term weight loss after going on a diet, and it can be pretty discouraging. But that's the thing I try to teach- That it's not about all of the sudden being successful because it’s the new year and it's not about starving yourself and dieting. It’s about more than just a diet. It’s about making it a LIFESTYLE!
People fail or regain the weight they lose because, for them, it wasn’t a long-term change, a lifestyle change. If your goal is long-term weight loss, then you must have a long-term solution or it will not work! That means saying to yourself, “This lifestyle I’ve been living has gotten me here, to a place I want out of. I need to adopt a new lifestyle in order to fix this and in order to never have to fix it again.” Get it? Make sense?
If you're at that place mentally where you're motivated to really make a long-term change because starting a New Year gives you that extra push, then great! Let's take advantage of that with a few of my pointers, so we can turn that New Year's push into a LIFESTYLE change.
Create A Constant Reminder. First, it's important that you stay focused on your goal and remember it as much as possible. We're busy, hectic creatures. If we don't get reminded of something, we will completely forget. So make sure you write out your goal/dreams/desires and have it somewhere you can see it often, to serve as a reminder and to keep you motivated. I personally like creating vision boards with images and words that remind me of why I'm setting out for this particular goal. You can also write it in lipstick on your bathroom mirror or leave notes to yourself around the house or at your desk at work. One of my team members makes it her phone wallpaper. So each time she checks her phone, she is reminded of her goal. Do whatever works best for you, just make sure you have something around to remind you and keep you enthusiastic during the tough times.
Celebrate Your Accomplishment. Secondly, always remember to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Too often, we accomplish one thing, and before we even acknowledge it, we're on to the next goal. And the next one. And the next one. We just go go go and, therefore, it seems like we don't get ahead and are always in some form of challenge. When we do this, it feels like we are constantly working towards something but without the feeling of accomplishment. That leads to BURNOUT. Don't do this! Celebrate your big and small wins! It will make the journey towards your goal so much more fun! Stop and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You deserve it! Celebration is part of a healthy lifestyle.
Keep Going. Third, and most importantly, don't feel that you have to wait for one day a year to set a goal. There will be times when you will "fall off the wagon". Don't just quit! First of all, you didn't "fall off" anything. Not sticking to your nutrition plan or missing a workout, or having a weekend binge is not you falling off. It's a part of life. All you have to do is get back to it the next meal, the next day. Not the next new year. THE NEXT DAY! Just keep going. Don't quit, don't talk yourself into starting over next Monday or month or whatever. Just start NOW. To borrow a little slogan from Beachbody, “Decide. Commit. Succeed.” Decide, commit, and you WILL succeed the faster you get back on plan. Just keep going.
Remember these three things and you will transform those New Year resolutions, into a permanent LIFESTYLE!
Alright, I'm off to continue filming more content for The Monthly Fix. Chat soon!
Your Partner In Health,
Autumn
