What’s your new years resolution?

It’s 16 days into 2024, are you still committed to your resolution? If you are then good on you! If you aren’t then don’t feel so bad, about 8% of people succeed at keeping their new years resolutions while the rest ultimately fail.

Why is that? It sounds like a great idea to make a positive committment to begin the year to me. How come, for the majority, this great idea isn’t that great? How come it takes us right back to square one?

One reason could be because we get a bit too ambitious too quickly. The goals we are eager to reach lack a breakdown consistent to the needs of our minds. When we have big goals that we try to reach quickly, it takes us out of our zone of safety and comfort. Subconsciously this rings an alarm to signal this isn’t safe for us. Our minds, in turn will do anything it can to keep us away from the percieved threat (the goal) and inside of the comfort zone.

Alternatively, the goal is too big and your mind doesn’t have the stamina to jump over the consistent hurdle, and quickly becomes too tired and unmotivated to do so.

Another reason may be that you get stuck in the cycle of waiting to make a healthy choice. “I’ll start after my birthday/ our holiday/ Christmas/ the new year…” The start may happen, but it is soon put on pause to wait again for the right time.

So what is the answer?

Choose a goal you can’t fail. It’s actually far more simple than we would like to admit. But making the hurdle so small that you can step over it without even breaking a sweat time after time after time after time (figuratively speaking) tricks your brain into believing that this task is safe, comfortable and achievable, making it far more likely to be consistent and long lasting. For example, if your goal is to eat 5 servings of vegetables a day, and you currently eat none, a small hurdle would to buy one vegetable each week whe you go grocery shopping. It sounds silly, and far more tempting to jump straight into a new diet – but your chances at succeeding are slim. BIGGER ISN’T BETTER in the case of long lasting habits.

After you have consistently stepped over your first hurdle, make it a tiny bit bigger and repeat this process. Using the same example, the next hurdle may be to take one bite of the vegetable everyday or use that vegetable to make lunch or dinner.

And for the one who waits to begin, let me ask you a question: Why are you starting in the first place? If your answer is to lose weight or look better, you need a better reason. For example, to be fit and healthy to play with my grandchildren, to be independent for as long as I can be, to avoid the stress chronic illness can cause to my family ect… Connect your reason with something you really care about (in this case it was family, independence and longevity). Whatever it is, find a reason that is deeper than a superficial symptom.

If you don’t know what step to take next, enquire today about my 3 month integrative nutrition health programs to kickstart your health journey this year.