successful resolutions start easy

Why do new years resolutions fail? The better question is: why would a new number on the calendar all of a sudden make you successful at something you haven’t been able to do over the last 12 months?

Often times, resolutions are lofty goals like “lose 20 lbs” or “run a marathon” or even just “go to the gym 3x a week”. These are all great, as goals. Goals on their own however are just targets - outcomes. Not methods. I’m not going to improve my golf score by staring harder at the pin, and you’re not going to lose 20 lbs by saying “2021 is my year”.

It’s helpful to view resolutions (or fitness goals in general) as skills similar to sports or resumé padders. Think of something you’re really good at, and reflect back on how you got to that level of proficiency. You didn’t just pick it up January 1 of 2008 and figure it out within a month. In all likelihood, you worked at each individual element of that skill over time and those elements eventually compounded to the skill you have today.

How do we apply that to resolutions/fitness? Easy: break your goal down to smaller, easier habits.

Though personal training is perceived to be about over-the-top positive reinforcement, heavy lifts, and picking cool looking exercises the bulk of my job is actually breaking down the fitness goals of the 1% to smaller habits they can and will accomplish. It takes a bit of introspection and admitting where your faults lie, but the more you know yourself the better you’ll do.

Here are some examples:

Want to start exercising more?

Start easy, with something you enjoy not something you hate, that you can do over and over again. Start short even. Workouts don’t need to be an hour. Shorter, easier, and more frequent workouts are repeatable and easy to build off of. Once you’ve nailed something you enjoy and can repeat, you can build from there by adding exercise you don’t enjoy or increasing your intensity.

Want to eat better?

Start easy, like swapping just one of your 3 meals in a day for something healthier, and do that everyday. After a month, build from there.

Want to lose weight?

Do something easy and repeatable for both exercise and nutrition. Like 20 minutes of walking 5x a week and salads for dinner. After a month, build from there.

Want to run a marathon?

Start easy, with walking. After a month, build from there.

Notice a theme? Everyone thinks they can skip the small steps and start right at the pro-level in January, and this is why 80% of resolutions are abandoned by February. Be a part of the 20% and start small. Imagine your year-long resolution as a house being built: month one is digging and building the foundation, then you can move into the framing.

Start easy, build from there.