In an earlier blog post, I mentioned that the vast majority of New Year’s Resolutions are broken. Here’s a link:
https://lindawbrowning.com/2022/12/29/be-part-of-the-9/
But maybe the most surprising part is that they are often broken three weeks into the new year! According to a study by Strava, the world’s largest sports community, January 19 is the day people are most likely to give up on their shiny new year’s goals (1). There are several “fun” holidays celebrating this phenomenon. Quitters Day takes place on the second Friday of January – Friday the 13th this year. A similar holiday, Ditch Resolutions Day always falls on January 17.
The exact date isn’t important. What’s important is that we recognize the urge to give up and get past those feelings.
Let’s look at more ways to succeed – how to persevere and achieve your goals! These will help in conjunction with the ideas found in my earlier post.
- See failure as a lesson – a temporary setback that contributes to learning how to improve (2). Turn around that old adage about insanity (Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, attributed to Einstein (3)). Do something new!
- Try to improve a little each day – foster a growth mindset (2). Remember why we are calling this a journey, not a destination.
- Set benchmarks for recognizing your successes – no matter how small (2). Then break out the (non-food) rewards when you achieve them!
- Go for the fun – it’s been shown that looking at a low calorie/nutrient rich food as a healthy choice is not fun! Rebrand your “Healthy Choice Turnips” as “Herb ’n’ Honey Balsamic Glazed Turnips” for more appeal (4).
- Give in to temptation – associate your resolution with something positive, which is called temptation bundling. For example, if walking more is part of your goal, only allow yourself to listen to a favorite podcast or audiobook while you are walking (4).
- Remember why you are here – whether that’s why you got into an unhealthy condition or why you’re working to improve your health (2). Think about your reasons and you’ll recall what makes your goals so important.
I believe we can get past these so-called holidays and continue on this journey of a healthier and better life. Let’s instead celebrate that we won’t give up!
I hope you’ll feel free to comment and share the tools you use to help maintain your weight management. And please follow to learn about more ideas in maintenance!
(1). https://www.strava.com/clubs/231407/posts/7881647
(2). https://www.success.com/9-ways-to-improve-your-perseverance-skills/
(3). https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/einstein-s-parable-of-quantum-insanity/
Maintain Weight Loss 