So, You Broke Your New Year’s Resolution. Now What?

So, you broke your new year’s resolution. It’s happened to the best of us. In fact, one study conducted by the University of Scranton found that only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goal. This small percentage begs the question, why do so many of us fail?

Perhaps understanding the reason that New Year’s resolutions fail so often can give us some insight into how to actually be successful? Additionally, just because you’ve messed up, doesn’t mean that you should throw in the towel! There’s still plenty of time left in the year to get back on track.

I like to think about it like this… If you get a flat tire, you don’t go around slashing the other 3, do you? Of course not! You repair (or replace) the flat tire and continue progressing forward! Your New Year’s resolution should be viewed the same way. Fix the issue(s) and get back on track!

So, You Broke Your New Year’s Resolution. Now What?

You’ve messed up, but you haven’t failed. There’s still time to salvage your resolution and achieve all of your fitness goals! So, what do you do? Follow these 5 tips to getting your New Year’s resolution back on track!

1. Figure out where you went wrong.

This first step, may very well be the most important step to the whole recovery process. Figuring out where you went wrong, gives you the opportunity to change it and move on.

Did negative emotions or a bad attitude throw you off? Looking at your fitness journey in a negative light or as an uphill battle, plants the seed of defeat in your head. A bad attitude can turn any good thing sour, real fast. Focus on positive emotions, like getting healthy and becoming stronger, instead of putting yourself down. This way of thinking will give your attitude the boost that it needs to succeed.

Was it a lack of time for exercise? If you didn’t have time for exercise, chances are you weren’t using your time to the best of your ability. You can complete an effective workout in just 4 minutes. Don’t believe me? Try this 4-Minute Fat-Burning Tabata Workout. Most of us spend too much time each day staring at our phones, laptops, and televisions. “Not enough time” is not a valid excuse. Workout before you hop in the shower, during your lunch break, or while dinner is in the oven at night! You can find the time, I promise.

Was your diet unsustainable? This is a simple one. If you couldn’t stick to your diet, it was definitely unsustainable. Everyone is different, so no single eating-plan is right for everyone. You need to find what works for you! Check out our Healthy Eating-Plans and find the one that is right for you!

Did you hate your workout program? This is another pretty easy one to correct. There are literally thousands of routines and programs to choose from. Whether the one you were following was too hard, easy, boring, or long, there’s always another one to try. Again, you need to find what works for you and your schedule.

Was a lack of motivation your issue? A lack of motivation is perhaps the number one reason that resolutions fail. We usually start out strong, but as the diet and workout programs get more intense, our motivation begins to falter. There are several ways to increase motivation. You can build yourself a dream board with motivational quotes and images, plan rewards for yourself for meeting weekly or monthly goals, or find yourself a workout and accountability buddy! Bringing your friends along on your fitness journey can keep you inspired and driven to succeed.

No matter what the reason was for breaking your resolution, it can always be corrected.

2. Make a plan.

Okay, so you’ve found and corrected the issue. Now, your resolution takes place over the course of the entire year, but a year is an extremely long time. Giving yourself too much time to achieve a goal usually results in giving yourself too much slack, as well. Don’t let up on your focus! In order to do this, you should create weekly or monthly goals that you must hit. More importantly, these goals should also be as specific as possible.

Don’t just say you want to lose weight. How much weight do you want to lose this year? We’ll use 60 pounds as an example. If you want to lose 60 pounds this year, you’ll aim for 5 pounds per month, and 1.25 pounds per week. Smaller, more specific goals give you an easier end to work towards. Looking directly at 60 pounds can get overwhelming and cause you to quit.

If you aim for perfection, you’re going to fail. News flash, no one is perfect. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can address what you should really be aiming for: consistency. This will be key to reaching your goals. Consistency will turn your new healthy choices into healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

3. Get back to it!

You’ve nailed down the issue, and you’re all set up with a plan to overcome it. Now what? NOW, you get back in the saddle! Pick up where you left off, but this time, with your revised resolution and new plan! Do what you have to do to follow through. This process is by no means easy. It’s going to take effort and there may still be times where you feel like giving up… But you won’t, because now you know exactly what you need to do to overcome it.

If you do mess up again, it’s okay! Did you hear me? It is okay. Don’t beat yourself up, that’s not going to help the situation. Instead, learn from your new mistakes, ask yourself what you can do differently, get back up, and keep on pushing. Remember that building a habit takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it will happen eventually.

4. Reward yourself.

While reaching your weekly and monthly goals may be the best reward, choosing smaller things along the way can keep you motivated and driven. Often times, when we think about rewards for sticking to the diet or exercise routine, we automatically think cheat meal. While food can be your reward every now and then, it should not be your go to. Instead, pick things like a new outfit or bathing suit, a new pair of shoes or handbag, adding to a vacation fund, or simply taking a night off to relax. Starting out the week, or month with a special reward in sight can motivate you to continue making healthy choices!

5. Never stop hustling.

Finally, when you reach your goal, (I say when because I know you will do it) pat yourself on the back. You can take a day or two to relax, but then you need to get back to work! No, I’m not kidding. If you stop now, chances are you’ll have to start all over next year. When you reach your goal, pick a new one. It doesn’t always have to be a weight loss goal, or even fitness-related for that matter, but your health must remain a top priority from this day forward. Don’t ever get complacent. Once you get complacent with your health, you’ll begin backtracking. You don’t want that, and I don’t want that for you. Keep hustling.

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No matter how much you think you’ve messed up, or how far you’ve strayed from your New Year’s resolution, it doesn’t have to mean the end. Pick yourself back up, learn from your mistakes, adjust your plan, and get back to work. After all, you get what you work for.

Did you find these tips helpful? What’s your New Year’s resolution? Do you have any special tips to share on how to get back on the wagon? Let us know in the comment section.

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