Ahhh, a new year. So may resolutions and promises to change. Here are the top ten
resolutions we made for 2023…
1. Save Money
2. Be Healthier
3. Work out More
4. Eat Better
5. Lose Weight
6. Try to be Happier
7. Pay down Debt
8. Improve Mental Health
9. Spend more Time with Family
10. Learn something New
Four out of the top five are related to personal health. People want to be healthier, yet, statistically, history has shown that 43% of those making resolutions will fail before February. One out of four will quit BEFORE the end of the first week. Only 9% successfully keep their resolutions. The failure rate is so high that the second Friday in January is actually called “Quitters Day”.
Why Do We Fail?
“If you want something you never had, you need to do something you never done.”
It is estimated that we make over 35,000 decisions every day. According to research from Cornell University, 226.7 of those decisions are related to food! Every decision we make, each day, each hour, brings us either closer or further from our goals. So why can’t we just make the right decisions????
HABITS
Habits are formed by the repeated decisions we make, conscious and unconscious throughout the hour, day, week, month, year, lifetime. Decision-making, in psychology is defined as the cognitive process which results in the selection of a course of action, or establishment of a belief among several possible options. This cognitive process is based on information to our senses, perception, past experiences and understanding of knowledge.
EXAMPLE
Decision to stop and have favorite fast food over stopping for a healthier option.
– Your past experience eating that food has resulted in satisfaction and comfort.
– The smell, look, and taste is appealing
– We perceive this option to be quick, easy, less expensive and “not a big deal”.
– Our knowledge of the fast food industry, chemicals used to enhance flavors to create addiction-like behavior and knowledge of severe health consequences is limited.
BOOM! Decision made. That decision was also made in less than a minute, and depending on how often one stops for fast food, that decision can be an unconscious one.
How do we create new habits?
This requires deliberate action and thought.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, breaks down the process of building a habit
Only by understanding habits and how they work, can we begin to make changes in our own habits. Every single habit works this way…no exception.
It starts with the CUE, which initiates a behavior. It senses a reward and initiates a CRAVING. Cravings are the motivational force behind every habit. So when we say we lack the motivation to…(fill in the blank), we are actually saying is that we don’t desire the end state of that action. Sticking with the fast food example from above, its not the food itself we crave but the feeling of satisfaction it delivers. “Every craving is linked to a desire to change your internal state.” Cravings lead to a RESPONSE. This response IS the habit. Changing this response, is dependent on ability and “friction” of new behavior. Tony Robbins has said, “People change when the pain of remaining the same outweighs the pain of change.” Change is hard, it requires doing what you might not, at the moment, want to do but know it is the right decision to get the REWARD you said you wanted. Ability, is just the physical ability to do something. Are you physically able to drive to a healthier location?….yes. Is the decision to eat something different hard?….yes. Is the reward of wanting to be healthier, worth it?…yes.
Now, the first, second, or even tenth time of making that NEW decision might require effort and still be difficult. (hence the 2 week National Quitters Day) BUT, if your WHY – the reason you want your goal – is strong enough, then you will continue to choose the response needed to get to your goal. Your cues to get the reward you want will lead to cravings in line with that reward; ie: healthier food options, making time to exercise. Over time, this will become YOUR new habit.
So don’t give up!
Write down your goals.
Write down what you need to do to obtain those goals
Write down what you will do TODAY to get you one step closer
NEED MORE HELP?
Reach out to Zeta Wolf Fitness to receive help in achieving your health and fitness goals. Whether you need accountability, a group of like minded people or one-on-one assistance, as a member of the pack, you will never be alone.