We’re done with half of 2017. Most of us have failed at, or given up on, or forgotten about our new year resolutions. This isn’t different from last year or the one before. Why does this happen? Why do we fail?
We enjoy the product but not the process
A lot of us like to look and be fit. But only a few of us like the process of getting fit. The thought of looking a certain way or doing a certain feat is appealing and compelling to us. But the work it takes to get to that point is not. This applies to life as much as it does to fitness. Being successful is fun. But becoming successful is work. Most of us choose fun over work and so end up wishing and whining instead of working and winning. Anything that's worth having is worth working for and that's something we need to keep reminding ourselves. If we can find a way to enjoy the work, we can be assured of a better result.
Female athlete kissing her trophy in stadium
Our goals are more emotional than rational
When we say we want something it is usually a result of an emotion. It could be because someone said something or because we're inspired by looking at someone, but rarely do we think rationally before a resolution. How often have we thought about 'what it takes' before saying 'I'll do whatever it takes'? If we could take the time to understand the reason behind the goals we're setting and the amount of time and energy that will be required to achieve those goals, we would set more reasonable goals. And if we can set more reasonable goals, our chances of success will be higher and quitting will be lower. It’s hard to be inspired, passionate and rational all at the same time. But who said success was easy?
Depressed woman with hands over her face. Crying.
We get distracted by shiny objects
This is fascinating but it is something that happens to even the brightest minds. Most of us are smart in our respective areas of expertise. But it's not uncommon to see otherwise smart people fall prey to the silliest of fitness scams. There is a reason fad diets, unscientific training programs and unqualified coaches sell. They tell us exactly what we want to hear - that we can lose 30 years of fat gain in 3 months, that we can clear decades of accumulated toxins within weeks and that we can buy health by paying a premium. When we are desperate for something, even the dumbest of ideas sound smart. The solution is not to stay away from distractions, because that's just impossible. It is to not be desperate.
Woman holding fruit and Vegetable juicer
We lack consistency
Be it richness, fitness or happiness, consistency is the name of the game. Small positive actions done consistently over a period of time are the building blocks of success. The thought leaders who inspire us, the athletes who have bodies we dream about and the musicians who make us cry are not simply gifted. They are unbelievably consistent in practising their craft and they have been that for a very long time. We're not going to go from fat to fit in a week. We're not going to gain appreciable strength in a couple of months. And we're definitely not going to become healthy through random uncoordinated efforts. But consistency in simple hard work will get us all this and more.
Overhead view with horizontal format, looking down on a 10 year old girl practising at the piano. She is staring at a piece of music as she practices her scales on the keys in a brightly lit sunlight room with some flare coming in through the window. She has long fair hair and she is wearing a light coloured embroidered blouse, very shallow focus on her hands giving a nice out of focus dreamy background and foreground.
