Welcome to 2025. Everywhere you look, there are signs telling you to make resolutions and people sharing their resolutions with everyone. For some people, New Year's resolutions are exciting, but for others, they seem intimidating, annoying, or pointless - I’m in this second category. I find New Year’s resolutions overrated.
Here me out:
01.
Why do we wait until the new year to make a change or start working towards a new goal that is important to us? I am a firm believer that you should start working towards a goal as soon as you decide it’s important. You can be working towards a goal any time of the year, without the additional stress of constant questions about your progress, To avoid this unnecessary stress, I recommend enacting a change or starting to work towards a goal when you first identify the desire to change something, rather than at an arbitrary time point like the new years. One way to help you achieve any resolution or goal is to identify accountability partners, preferably people who will be there with you through the ups and downs of this work.
02.
Why do we hold ourselves to unrealistically high standards with New Year's resolutions and expect results on an unrealistic timeline? Sadly, or maybe thankfully, change doesn’t happen overnight. Spending two days or even two weeks at the gym isn’t going to yield the desired results, just as eating broccoli for two days isn’t going to completely change your diet and health. When instead we start working on a goal on our own schedule, the time pressure for achieving a goal isn’t as intense or isn’t even apparent. Also, working towards goals on our own schedule takes away the comparison game - it can be frustrating to see different rates of progress, particularly if people around you have the same goal and are progressing at a different rate. Remember, we are all individuals with different abilities, goals, and circumstances, so I suggest taking advantage of the opportunity to enact change and work towards goals at your own pace and on your own schedule.
03.
Why do we make broad or numerous New Year’s resolutions? A staggering 80% of people give up on a New Year’s resolution after just a few weeks! Those are not good odds for achieving our goals. I believe that making a few SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals with defined outcomes will increase the chance of success. For each goal, but particularly bigger goals, it’s also important to identify the steps necessary to achieve the goal and to start with small steps. Choosing and enacting these goals on your own timeline can help increase the odds of staying consistent and reaching them.
04.
Why are gyms so crowded in January? If your resolution is to increase daily activity or strength, it can be frustrating to arrive at the gym in January only to struggle with finding a parking spot and having to wait for equipment to become available. Many gyms see a sharp increase in memberships and visits during the first few weeks or month of the year. While I love that people are excited to increase their activity levels to improve their health, I find that it can be really frustrating if your workout takes a lot longer than normal while you wait around for equipment. For me, this could decrease my motivation to go to the gym, and I might stop going sooner because of this. I recommend being flexible in your workouts during this time, planning workouts outside of the gym on other days and making friends by asking to work into a set with someone else. Hiring a personal trainer for one-on-one sessions or working with us at E3 Physio can remove the frustration with accessibility.
So when you think about your resolutions, think of them as just that - resolutions. Not something attached to a certain time of year, not something in comparison to others, not something that is important to other people. Think of them as something for YOU! Make resolutions that are meaningful to you, that you are ready to start working on, and that can be updated as you change.
If getting stronger and/or making a workout plan is part of your resolution, reach out to us at E3 Physio, and we can help you with programming and learning all the movements to increase outcomes and success and decrease the risk of injury.
