80 percent of new year’s resolutions fail by the second week in February according to U.S. News.
When I read this, I wonder why. Are we not picking the right resolutions, don’t have an adequate support system, or lacking some serious will-power? My guess is that it is most likely a mix of all these plus some.
An article by Business Insider on keeping new year’s resolutions states, “Year after year, getting in shape is one of the most popular resolutions you can make. Instead of focusing on how many calories you burn in a single gym session, or how much you can lift, try focusing on a very specific goal, like running a marathon. I cannot agree more.
I am not wired to go to the gym and work out just for the sake of working out. My whole life, I have trained to prepare for something: My next wrestling match, football game, running race, or triathlon. I knew that I was going to need to compete against myself and others on that day, and this fueled me (even when I did not want to train). I greatly value the fitness earned through the preparations, but it is not what motivates me on those tough days. To stay motivated, I need an event on the calendar.
If you are wired like me and have a fitness goal this year, I encourage you to sign up for an event. It could be a running race, triathlon, or even something like a Spartan race – the key is that it will take place on a specific date, and you need to be prepared.
Here’s to an amazing 2018 and many new year’s resolutions accomplished.
