New Year’s Resolutions are Non-Sense! Stop Making Them!

Let’s reflect a moment on past New Year’s Resolutions. What resolutions did you make? Did you actually follow through with your resolutions?

80% of all people will answer “No”.  Every year people make these massive New Year’s resolutions that this will be the year that they hit their fat loss and weight loss goals.  The reality is only 10% of those people actually do.  So why do they make it and the rest of us don’t? 

The reality is resolutions don’t work, plans and support work.  Overall goals need to be met with plans based on practicality not emotion. The ones that hit their overall goals, don’t just set goals.  They create a plan for their goals and find the proper support to help hold them accountable. 25% of the 80% fall off track within the first three weeks in January. 15% more fall off track by mid-February.

With that said, this is the year that you need to stop having your overall goals fall by the wayside. I know…Now you are wondering how you actually succeed in 2015, instead of just making it another year of poor efforts.

The first step is being real.  This is accomplished by doing a gut check of sorts.  You need to ask yourself some questions that will find out where you are coming from when you establish your overall goals.  Without these questions you cannot develop an appropriate plan, or find the appropriate support.

Question #1. “Where am I now?”

To some this may seem obvious. The reality is very few people take time to assess their current position in life. These current positions can include physical, mental, or financial positions. This is the starting line that is left out of most New Year’s Resolutions. Yet this is exactly why resolutions have such a high failure rate.

Question #2. “Where do I want to go?”

Many of us think we know where we want to go, but until you truly evaluate this you will be surprised. Having been a fitness professional to hundreds of clients, I find that most folks have shinny object syndrome when it comes to setting their overall goals. Shinny object syndrome is basically chasing after something that looks and sounds good, but the reality is that what they are chasing after really doesn't contribute to what they say their ultimate objective is for their goals.

You have to be willing to dig under your skin and find out the real, driving force behind your desire to become healthier, leaner, stronger, etc. The true reality is no one wants to lose fat for the simple sake of losing fat. There is always an underlying reason.  Whether that reason is to look good for their significant other, to play with their kids, to participate in a race, to live longer, or whatever, there is always the underlying reason.

Question 3. “How I am going to get there?”

It is evident that most people have an idea of how to accomplish a fitness-based goal. It may not be with full knowledge but they do have an idea.  The greatest issue is they just don’t want to do the work. This is where you just have to man up, start, and say I am not going to stop. All you need to do first is make the commitment to finish. Second is embrace the fact that you are going to have failures along the way, and that failures are signs progress as long as you continue to move forward and don’t give up when you have a failure.

Question #4. “Why have I refused to act in congruence with my goals in the past?”

This is a big reality setter question.

There are times when you have to set uncomfortable goals. No reason to freak out. Being uncomfortable and having uncomfortable goals means that there are real stakes involved on your part. This is what is going to set you a part from just having New Year’s Resolutions. Those who whimsically set New Year’s Resolutions don’t have real stakes involved. That’s why it is so easy to quit. This is why this year YOU are going to leave resolutions and develop a plan for your overall goal.

So you need to be real with yourself and answer all of the above questions with the utmost honesty and self-integrity that you can provide.  If you do just that, you will be ready to progress to the pillars of success. The Pillars of Success will be your insight on how to develop that plan for your overall goal.

Pillars of Success:

Pillar #1. The Vision:

Contrary to the wishful nature of the resolution, a vision originates from a place of purpose. A vision is where your motivation will stem from. This is why Vision is the first pillar. Your vision needs to be something that will keep you from going insane from boredom, but also something that could keep you awake at night because it feels exciting and real.

Simply put, your vision needs to be directly linked to what is most important to you. Having a vision is just as important as having good health. In-fact, they feed off of one-another. An example would be if you ever had an aspiration to compete in a fitness competition or making a million dollars, that is all part of the vision pillar.

Everyone has a vision.  They just need to scope it out, find it, and then detail it out on paper.

Pillar #2. Social Support

Having the support and surrounding yourself with like-minded people is critical to your success.  Let me repeat myself, because it is that important. Surrounding yourself with people who are succeeding or want to succeed is critical to your success. This truly has been the very key to my progress both personally and professionally.  It was when I embraced this, and began associating with people that were succeeding at what I wanted to do and be, that I began reaching my goals.

Just as important as finding the winners, you need to cut out the crabs, and those who want to put you down or hold you back from what is important to your life. Some people want to insist this is not possible. It is possible, and you would be surprised at the progress you begin to make when you start to limit your contact with negative people.

It goes back to the old saying which is so very true…”You will never soar with the Eagles if continue hanging out with the turkeys”.

Find a coach, or group either online or in person that will provide you with that support!  It is life changing.

Pillar #3. Mentorship

Mentorship goes hand-in-hand with social support.  This must not be left out. One of my personal mentors had two things that have stuck with me.  “You become who you associate with” and “If you are the smartest person in your group, it is time to find a new group”.  These two things really resonated with me.  I wanted to reach my goals so I changed who I associated with and found those to support me.  I wanted to learn and grow to hit my goals, so I found a new a group and they also support me.

Pillar #4. The Deadline

Nearly all New Year’s Resolutions lack a deadline. You must establish a non-negotiable deadline. All plans have this.  Yes, I said non-negotiable. No compromising.

This deadline is something that you will want to make very public to your Social Support circle, as well as your Mentor or Coach.  Doing this will put the fire under you and ensure your follow-through.  Again that is where joining an accountability group can also be good (back to that support pillar).

In Conclusion:

Make 2015 different. Set your overall goal, but then set a plan rather than a New Year’s Resolution.  If you need help, contact me.  I want to see this year be your year. Be sure to let me know how it is working for you and how you are doing!

TO THE END OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS AND THE BEGINNING OF SUCCESS THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL PLAN!