New Year’s Resolutions — Purposeful or a Waste of Time?
Ah, yes — January is here upon us. A new year, a new start, and if you’re reading this, you’re probably screaming, “a new me!”
The beginning of the New Year can often be a time for change. Within that change comes the constant, almost unbearable use of the word “resolution”. The word resolution has done nothing wrong to any person, ever, in human history. Yet, LOTS of people have some very strong opinions on New Year’s Resolutions.
“Resolutions are a joke! They have no meaning and nobody follows through on them anyways!”
“Resolutions are important! They allow you to set a vision and become a better person!”
“I’m a nihilist. I don’t believe in anything. Resolutions are pointless cause life has no purpose.”
Okay, it’s likely that you’re not someone who thinks the last thought. Or… maybe you are. Who knows? Either way, whatever your opinion may be on New Year’s Resolutions, you are entitled to it. This article is simply my take on the whole thing, from my lens of being a fitness and nutrition coach since 2016.
So… do I think New Year’s Resolutions have a purpose, or are they just a giant waste of time? Let’s discuss.
You are Not Alone — In Failing
I did intentionally wait until this particular day to publish this story because we have completed a full three weeks into 2023. And as the classic adage goes, “It takes three weeks to develop a habit!” While I cannot confirm nor deny the validity of that statement, I propose to you the following question — how are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions so far? Are you still going strong, or have you started to fall off the wagon? If you are in the latter group, you are not alone — and there’s way more people in this group with you than you think.
According to sundried.com, “Research shows that 95% of New Year’s Resolutions are fitness related, but after just 3 months, only 10% of people think their resolution will last.” As a disclaimer, this is data pulled from a Google search from a company that performed its own survey. So, I cannot speak to the reliability of this survey. However, with this in mind, if you were to ask 10 of your friends and/or family members if they have a New Year’s resolution, I would very confidently estimate that at least 8 of them will choose one that is either fitness or health related.
“I want to lose 20 pounds.” “I want a flatter stomach.” “I want a bigger butt.” “I want to be healthier.”
Is having goals to become a healthier, more in-shape person a bad thing? No, of course not. But, looking at the second part of that quote from earlier — “… after just 3 months, only 10% of people think their resolution will last” — people probably felt this way because they had a goal, but they failed to create a plan.
It’s All in the Plan, Man!
Okay, so you want to lose 20 pounds. Awesome. Great goal. How are you going to do it? How many months are you going to give yourself to lose those 20 pounds? How many pounds are you going to aim to lose per week? What new habits are you going to create (or old habits are you going to break) in order to reach this goal? What sacrifices are you willing to make in order to achieve this goal? Are you going to lose the weight just from your diet, or are you going to start an exercise routine, too? What is your exercise routine going to look like? How are you going to change your diet in order to lose the weight sustainably as well as give you the fuel you need for your training? (Shameless plug — unless you are a child with epilepsy, the Keto diet can go fuck itself.)
As a fitness coach, these are all questions that I consider with my clients no matter what time of year they decide to start their fitness journey. But, maybe you don’t have the means or desire to hire a coach. And that’s totally okay. Where people who go on this journey without a coach tend to go awry is they go way too hard, way too fast.
“I’m gonna eat 700 calories a day, and I’m gonna workout two hours a day/seven days a week, and I’m gonna use detox teas that I know do nothing if I have a healthy functioning liver and kidneys, and I’m gonna lose those 20 pounds in one month!!”
Yes, you created a plan — and I commend you for giving it a shot. But the truth is, this plan is really shitty, and is going to do more harm long-term than good. Let’s talk about why, and how to improve it:
- 700 calories a day, no matter how big or small you are, is way too little calories to fuel your body’s daily functions and training (if you are indeed training). Food is fuel. Calories are energy — literally. You need to feed your body the nutrients it needs in order for it function properly (especially your hormones). Eat the damn food — including the carbs.
- If you are training for 14 hours/week, unless you are an elite high-performance athlete, you are almost certainly overtraining. Strength training often results in varying amounts of muscular damage. In order for your muscles to grow and get stronger, you have to allow your body to recover and heal from that damage. Have you ever wondered why we get sore? It’s your body protecting itself and telling you, “hey, this muscle is still healing. Take it easy on it today, will ya?”
- It is much better to start slow and build up as time goes on than to go in with guns blazing as hard as you can. Burnout is a real thing, and from my experience, it is probably the biggest detriment to maintaining consistency and achieving your fitness goals. Take your time and maintain a process-oriented mindset rather than a goal-oriented one.
Listen to Your Body
This person may lose those 20 pounds in one month. But, I propose this question — is losing those 20 pounds really worth it if you end up feeling like shit?
- You feel tired all the time because your sleep is crappy
- You’re more irritable than you normally are
- You’re ALWAYS sore, and cravings for the foods and drinks that may not align with your fat loss diet are stronger than ever
- Your mood starts to impact your work, relationships, and/or sex life
Think of achieving a resolution — or any goal for that matter — like passing a class. If you get a D, technically you passed the class. But did you learn anything? Would you feel better about yourself if you enjoyed the process and got an A rather than resenting it and getting that D? And most important of all, are you able to repeat and sustain the progress that you made? If you’re the D student, most likely not. The A student, on the other hand, likely will be able to continue their success and be able to teach what they’ve learned and help others.
If you set a resolution for yourself, aim to be the A student. Have a good, sustainable plan, fall in love with the process, and the desired outcome will be attained.
Be Patient — and Be Consistent
Your goal is probably not going to be achieved as quickly as you think it will. Bummer, I know. Obstacles you can’t foresee will come up, cheat meals that weren’t planned will be consumed, and general laziness is going to be a thing. Maybe the largest exception to these realities is bodybuilders. But, talk to any bodybuilder and they are almost certain to tell you that achieving their strength and physique took YEARS of consistency, dedication, and sacrifice to build.
Go back and re-read that last sentence.
I never said perfection — I said consistency. Consistency, more than anything else, is what will create progress and deliver results. One of my favorite quotes from a man I look up to, Joseph Mencel, is this:
“Perfection is the enemy of progress.”
It may sound like a broken record, but consistency is the key. Consistent in your diet; consistent in your training; and most important of all, consistent in giving yourself grace. Mistakes are going to be made. But, mistakes are ALWAYS opportunities to learn and grow — if you choose to use that lens to your advantage. Don’t be too hard on yourself or feel like that single mistake is going kill your progress. It’s not. Get back on track and keep pushing forward.
The Verdict
So… what is my opinion on resolutions? I LOVE them — for me. I am naturally a goal-oriented person who thinks with logic and likes having structure in as many aspects of my life as I can. I don’t always write them down, but every day I do have a set of goals or objectives that I do my best to achieve — and I don’t berate myself if I don’t achieve them all. Frankly, on most days, I’m unable to achieve everything I was hoping to. But, this works for me because this is my way of creating my plan. If you are someone like me that likes checklists and using them to organize your day, then New Year’s resolutions are fantastic for you because you’re essentially taking that process and making it bigger and badassier.
If you are someone that is more go with the flow and following what feels right in a particular moment, then resolutions may not necessarily be your cup of tea. Structure and logic aren’t your bag; but creativity and freedom are. Given the necessity of having a solid plan behind a resolution — particularly in fitness — I can see how creating a resolution can cause anxiety and stress simply because of how your brain works. Do what’s best for you! A resolution should never be burdensome. It should be something that motivates and inspires you, something that makes you excited to pursue and have fun with!
And if people are telling you need to do something, but in your heart of hearts you don’t need or want to do it, tell those people to go fuck themselves. They may be acting in your best interest, which is great, but ultimately it is your life, and it is up to you to decide the life you want to live. Align your resolutions — if you choose to use them — to what is going to create the best version of this life for YOU. AND MAKE SURE YOU’RE HAPPY.
I look forward to making mistakes every single day. Fitness is a TOUGH industry to achieve consistent success in, but the biggest reason I’ve been able to stick around as long as I have (so far) is using all the mistakes I’ve made in my career as opportunities to learn and develop. I still make mistakes, and will always make mistakes, because I’ve accepted that that is an inevitability of life. As long as I keep that mindset, nothing is going to stop me from being as successful as I want to be. I’m certain of that. Do what you need to do 80% of the time, even when you don’t want to do them, and you will build discipline. Having discipline will help you achieve more progress and results than you can imagine. That is true in fitness and in life.
You got this. Stay focused. Stay consistent. Eat the carbs. Make the mistakes. LEARN.
“You can’t fuck this up. The only way you can fuck this up is quitting.” -Jordan Syatt
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