FAILED YOUR RESOLUTIONS? HERE’S HOW TO REVISE THEM

Already failed your resolutions – even though it’s only February? You’re not alone – it’s believed that 80% of people will abandon their New Years resolutions, and around 65% will do that within a month of starting!

But does that mean you’re doomed to never reach your health goals? Not necessarily. There are a few ways that your resolutions can set you up for failure. So with a little bit of tweaking, you can get back on track and make this year your year to get healthy – and most importantly, STAY healthy.

5 REASONS WHY YOU FAILED YOUR RESOLUTIONS (PLUS HOW TO FIX THEM)

YOUR RESOLUTION WAS FOCUSED ON DEPRIVING AND RESTRICTING

Hands up – who had a resolution that went along the lines of something like this?

• I’m going to quit chocolate and stick to my diet
• The cigarettes are gone January 1^st
• I’m cutting out alcohol completely!
• Bye-bye carbs, I’m going on a keto diet
• Time to quit scrolling through social media every night

Do you notice anything in common?

Failed resolutions will typically have some level of deprivation or restriction built into them. You are telling yourself you’re going to stop having something, or cut it down, or save it for special occasions.

What’s wrong with this? Well, it sets your brain up to freak out! The things you are giving up are pleasurable experiences, so your brain wants you to keep doing them (giving you that happy hit of dopamine). If you focus on cutting out and depriving, your brain is going to rebel and encourage you to cave at the first opportunity.

The solution? Switch it for an inclusive goal. Instead of cutting out things, find healthy replacements or inclusions to help you move towards the same goal. You don’t have to give up chocolate – but if you build up to 5 serves of veggies each day, you’ll naturally eat less chocolate because you’re so full!

YOUR RESOLUTION WAS OVERLY AMBITIOUS

Ok, so if you didn’t tick off any of the first group of resolutions, what about these ones?

• I’m going to hit the gym 6 days a week and run 10km every weekend
• I’ve never run before – but I’m going to sign up for a marathon and run it!
• Time to lose the weight – I’m going to drop 40kg by June no matter what
• Each morning I’ll go for a run and every night I’m doing to do 60 minutes of yoga

Ok, so some of these might be a tad exaggerated, but you get the point. When you’re starting out on a health goal, you don’t have to go for the most extreme and ambitious outcome! If you do, you will feel defeated when you haven’t made any decent progress in the first month. And as a result, you give up completely, instead of making baby steps towards that end goal.

The solution? Be realistic, and build in buffers.

Even if you calculate you can lose 25kg by the end of the year, remember that life happens – and set a lower goal of 15kg. That way, you can still have rough patches where your efforts stall, and still achieve your goal!

Want to get into running? Aim for a 5km or 10km run towards the end of the year. You might get to it well before that – and that’s fine. But what if you break your ankle in March? This way, you can still work towards a goal, even when life happens.

You could even set a goal of doing 5 minutes of yoga or meditation each day. A smaller time frame seems more achievable when it’s been a hectic day!

YOU DIDN’T SET UP CORRESPONDING HABITS

Want to transform your body? That’s awesome. But, um, what’s your plan to make that happen?

So many people make goals based on the outcome they want to achieve. But they forget to get clear on how they are going to make that happen. As a result, they chase quick-fix solutions that inevitably backfire. And that, my friend, is another big reason you likely failed your resolutions.

The solution? Get clear on the habits that will help you to work towards your goal.

• Want to lose some kgs? Get into the habit of drinking more water and eating more veggies.
• Want to get fit? Build a regular movement routine into your week, and don’t forget to do things like set out your workout clothes the night before!
• Want to reduce your alcohol intake? Figure out a strategy for social situations or stressful evenings that allow you to consume a modest amount or consume something non-alcoholic!

YOU TOLD YOURSELF YOU WOULD FAIL ANYWAY

It’s no surprise you failed your resolutions from day 1. It’s all your fault because you have no willpower, and you always fail at everything anyway.

Am I starting to sound like the little voice in your head yet??

When you set out expecting to fail, you set yourself up to fail. By going in with a pessimistic view, you are looking for proof that you are right in your beliefs. So even when you make some progress, that little voice will tell you it’s only a matter of time before you fail anyway.

The solution? Switch that b*tch out with some more positive thoughts.

Sure, you can’t stop yourself from thinking like that – but you can swap the thought out. If your mind tells you that you’re going to fail, sub it with ‘I’m going to keep taking steps because that will keep me moving towards my goal’.

And if you hit a stumbling block, and she tells you you’re a failure? Switch it for ‘It happens, and I can get right back on track and even learn something from this experience’.

You don’t have to be a complete Pollyanna about it – just find something a little bit more optimistic.

YOU DIDN’T HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM IN PLACE

If you’ve already failed your resolution by February, I bet that you don’t have a strong support system to help you stick to your goals. It’s the #1 area I see women overlooking when it comes to setting health goals!

So what happens the first time things get tough? It’s only you and your mind – so you take the easy way out.

The solution?

Get yourself some accountability, baby!

That’s where I come in. If you have serious health goals to achieve, I’ve got the tools and support you need to make it happen.

Book in for a free discovery call today, and we can explore how I can help you to reboot your body and feel good again.