New Years Resolutions

A while back PTs at my fitness club were telling me how in January the gym is usually booked out, and in February it is back to normal again. When we make New Year’s resolutions, we often do not take into account reality, live in a world of illusions and fantasise about how great it will be when we achieve our goals. Such illusions are often much sweeter than reality, where you have to overcome obstacles and work hard. And when we start doing what we set in our New Years resolutions, the reality turns out to be very different from this fantasy, and many quickly give up. Others don’t even start. I recommend to my clients to work on small, realistic steps to change their lives, not major life changes that will never materialize. Of course, small goals are not as lucrative and don’t allow us to brag to our friends about them. We want something big so we can shine on Instagram. But if you have never worked out in the gym, telling yourself that from the new year you will go there three times a week is not realistic. If you are a size 48, then imagining yourself in a new size 38 dress is also a fantasy. Of course, there are people who manage to make significant changes straight away, but they are few. You need to understand where you are starting from, where you want to go and what successive steps to take. This can be a daily 10-minute walk with a gradual increase in duration. By setting unattainable goals, you will feel more insecure when you fail to reach them. You will begin to criticize yourself, which will reduce the motivation for change. The problem will not be your weak will and low motivation, but the fact that you have set unrealistic goals. Daily work and efforts are important – not necessarily tied to the start of the next year. Each new day is already an occasion to orient ourselves towards how we want to live our life. It is also important to understand that we do not like changes, and in general, change is difficult for us. We prefer the familiar to the unfamiliar, even if the unfamiliar is objectively better for us.