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On resolutions

Today is a particularly important day in my society for making a big decision. It is the first day of a new year. 

On this day, it is traditional that a resolution is made. A resolution is a strong resolve, a choice to create a new good habit, or break an existing habit which no longer serves us. It is on this day that many gyms are full to capacity, cigarette sales are at an all-time low, and energetic enthusiastic people drop the smoking habit and push themselves into a sweaty start to a new year.

If you read the mass media, it may seem that the resolution momentum is difficult to maintain.

Tips to making New Years resolutions

How to make a New Year's resolution that you'll stick to in 2025

There are lots of studies that suggest that resolutions will be lucky to last 2 weeks. In a few short months, many find that the enthusiasm has dampened, the ashtrays are back, and the sweat grows cold. Gyms are empty, cigarette sales have picked up again, and resolutions are forgotten. But that does not need to be your experience.

And especially not today. Today your resolutions are fresh, bright, and real. 

If it is you who has made a decision, and you are reading when your intention is strong, I trust that you choose to hold the intention and follow through. 

Leave the bad habits in the past. Choose to persist.

Hear the good habits in the future. Choose to persist.

Imagine that your future self is calling you. Can you hear it? Your future self is smiling, and you are better because of the decision that you make now.

If you have made a decision, how can you reinforce it? With a plan.

For example, lets say that you are want to be healthier and lose weight. How will you know that you have been successful? It depends on what the outcome is, and how you intend to measure the outcome. 

Outcome 1: Be Healthier

Outcome 2: Lose Weight

To achieve these outcomes, it is important to know where we are starting from. What is your current level of health? What is your current weight? When you become healthier, is there a natural place where you want to 'stop'? And when you achieve your target weight, will you choose to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Activities

Start simply with a suitable diet. Choose to put the right foods in your mouth, to consume the right amount of water (tip: its probably more that you are drinking now) and reduce (or remove) foods that are not right from your diet.

Add an appropriate exercise program which is right for you. Choose activity which is easy to do on a regular basis and that does not require a significant change to your routine. If you are not a 'morning person', getting up a dawn to complete a gruelling workout can create additional resistance and make it easy to give up on your resolution. Pain does not always equal gain. It is better to create incremental progress and take a small step forward each day, and then build on your success as you gain momentum.

Depending on where you are starting from, the activities that you engage with will be different. Building a habit takes time and patience. Consult a professional if you need to. Be honest with yourself and kind to yourself. 

Refine and adapt the plan

In sailing, ocean conditions change rapidly. A good sailor expects that conditions will change, and constantly 'trims the sails' to ensure the boat reaches the destination. The objective does not change, but as circumstances change, the approach is tweaked.

Similarly, if (or when) circumstances change, be flexible with the approach but unrelenting with the outcome. Lets say you have a sick child (I hope it is not serious) and you have to take care of your sick little one instead of exercise. Or perhaps, you have to travel for work and so don't have access to your gym. What can you do? 

In the moment, be kind to yourself. Agree that there is an extenuating circumstance, and commit to exercising in a small way to maintain your momentum. Even just one push-up or one sit-up. 

If a situation is likely to arise that will limit your ability to exercise like you usually do, then it makes sense to plan ahead and prepare for the situation. Perhaps you could grab some resistance bands to pop into your carry on luggage and do a work-out in your hotel room.

Everyone experiences 'surprises' and unexpected situations, and when things do change for you, remember to trim the sails. The outcome should not be compromised, but the activities can be flexed as the circumstances evolve to ensure the destination is reached.

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