Making New Years Resolutions is a tradition for many, with some of the most common resolutions being exercising more, getting healthier, or losing weight. Sticking with resolutions, on the other hand, is a far more daunting task. According to a recent survey, it takes 32 days for the average person to break their resolutions, while 68% report giving up on their resolutions even sooner. The most common reason a goal isn’t met is that individuals feel they lacked the self-discipline to fully see it through, followed by many feeling their schedules get too busy or they simply lack the time to dedicate to their resolutions.
This isn’t said to discourage anyone from setting goals or thinking it is some impossible task, but rather to reinforce that it does take time, energy, and dedication to accomplish these goals. So, how can you stay motivated to keep working out and reach your goals?
Staying Motivated
As mentioned in the opening, the lack of self-discipline and lack of time attributes to the largest identified reasons for someone not sticking to their goals. Holding yourself accountable is essential for reaching any goal or bettering yourself. Ultimately, you are the one in charge of your life and will be the one responsible for making it happen.
Creating a plan and mapping out a schedule can also help you stay more motivated and disciplined. When you build time into your day for your workout, it becomes easier to manage your time because you are already accounting for it rather than just trying to squeeze it into a busy schedule. This can also help you plan for your day and what you need to bring with you, like making sure to pack a great pair of kicks for the gym.
Setting Goals
Setting a specific goal can often help make it feel more achievable and also give you a point to strive for. Rather than just saying you want to exercise more or get in better shape, make it measurable or clearly stated such as exercising for 30 minutes a day, running 10 miles a week, or being able to do 25 pullups. Setting the broad goal of getting into better shape or exercising more can make it feel like an impossible task or unreachable. Having a benchmark and a clear destination of where you want to go will help it feel more tangible.
Telling others your goals or getting a partner for your resolution is another great way to stay dedicated to getting or staying in shape. When you’re not the only one holding you accountable, you may be more likely to stick with it because you don’t want to let anyone down.
Mentality Matters
When it comes to making any sort of commitment or lifestyle change, the mentality that you approach it with plays a huge role. It can often be easy to get discouraged give up early if you do not see the results as quickly as you hoped or lack the instant gratification. With fitness goals or wanting to get in better shape, it is important to remember and remind yourself that this process will take time and will be gradual, so setting smaller goals along the way can help keep you on track.
Another important reminder when it comes to fitness, especially if it is trying to get to a certain performance goal, is that you need to ease into it and give your body time to adjust and to recover. As you progress, exercises or lifting certain amounts of weight will become easier as you’re getting stronger but just like the overall change, it does not happen instantly. Gradually working your way to where you want to be and giving your body the proper amount of rest also reduces the risk of injury.
It is also important to remember to give yourself a break and some leniency. Life gets busy and unexpected things can happen that may prevent you from getting in a workout, and that is okay. You can always get back on track, and generally the sooner you do the easier it will be.