Why You Should Stop Wasting Your Time With New Year's Resolutions

But let’s stop for a moment and ask ourselves: Is all the pressure we heap on ourselves making New Year’s Resolutions really worth it? 

How many of your New Year’s Resolutions have you and your friends actually reached? Did you set a New Year’s resolution that you could accomplish? Or did you set one that was too vague, or just plain impossible?  

According to U.S. News & World Report, about 80% of people who try to reach their New Year’s Resolutions fail! And most people stop trying to reach their goal by about mid-February. That means only a paltry 20% of people reach their New Year’s resolutions! Not much at all. 

Maybe we’re looking at New Year’s Resolutions the wrong way.

Maybe — just maybe — there’s a better way to reach your new year goal than with a high-pressure, very-likely-to-fail New Year’s resolution. 

Here’s a list of reasons why you should stop wasting your time with New Year’s Resolutions, and simply start focusing on accomplishing your goals! 

1. Figure out what you want to achieve

If you don’t know what you want out of the new year, then you’re wasting your time with trying to set resolutions. 

Sometimes, it can help to look at things from an entirely different perspective. What exactly do you want to accomplish this year? Do you want to workout 5 days a week? Do you want to go to 2 shows this year? Maybe compete in a show this year?

Maybe you want to add more weight on your max reps. Whatever your goals, get a pad and write down exactly what you want to achieve. Refer to it often. That will help get you there. 

2. Don’t start too big 

Part of the reason why so many people fail to reach their New Year’s Resolutions is because they start too big. Just because it’s the new year and we’re excited about change, we sometimes set really big goals that seem achievable, but in reality are nearly impossible to accomplish. If you find that large goals are a problem, stick to setting smaller goals and you’ll have a better chance of making serious progress. 

3. Set specific goals 

For example, if you can currently only max rep a 250 bench and you want to be able to get to 350 pounds, set benching 350 pounds as your goal. And then expect to put in the hard work to get there.

Remember, keep it realistic and map out a plan to get you to your goals. Maybe a goal of benching 275 is more realistic. This will give you more of a chance to actually reach your goal.

4. Don’t let speed bumps slow you down 

Contrary to popular belief, the path to success is fraught with the unexpected. Twists and turns. Brick walls. There will be setbacks along the way, but focus and keep moving forward. 

5. Work on forming a new habit

One strategy to accomplish your goals is to work on forming a new habit. Habits are automatic for us and they’re easy to follow. If your goal is to work out 5 times a week, it’s easier to do that if that’s already become a habit for you. For every goal you have, work on forming that into a new habit and you’ll be more likely to succeed. Plus, the nice thing about habits is that they only take about 3 weeks to take hold in your unconscious mind. 

6. Don’t wait until the New Year to start chasing your goals!

A problem we all tend to have is that we procrastinate. If you have a goal, stop pushing it off until Monday or until the New Year. If you keep delaying, it won’t get done! 

Right now: Stop waiting and start doing! You’ll thank yourself a year from now. 

Whether it’s losing weight, getting into the best shape of your life, or to just get more sleep, remember that GAT Sport has everything you’ll need to help get you there! Visit gatsport.com now to see all the special promotions, for the New Year and beyond!