On Monday December 30, 2013 my friend emailed me this picture stating that this is what the gym is going to look like after the first of the year.
I am not sure why, but this comment from my friend didn’t really resonate with me. I had been working out consistently since May and have settled into my usual routine. I always see the same people at the gym and it is what I would consider comfortable. There is the right amount of equipment and a fair amount of people working out everyday.
Christmas has come and gone and I am now preparing for the new year. As I goof around through various outlets of social media, I see a ton of my friends posting pictures for the upcoming new year holiday on Instagram. One friend posted a picture of his YMCA membership card stating, “One workout down and it’s not even the new year yet! Let’s see how long I can keep this up.”
Another friend of mine posted a picture of herself weightlifting stating, “After a little holiday break…I’m back at it. Trying to get ahead of the new year’s resolutioners.”
After seeing these from my friends, it has finally dawned on me that after January 1, the gym that I regularly enjoy is about to get a lot more congested and busy.
It’s not surprising that losing weight, eating right, and getting fit are top on the list of the most popular New Year’s resolutions.
I have never been one to personally set a New Year’s resolution. Honestly, I don’t know that I have ever done one before. So what is a New Year’s resolution anyway and what’s the point?
This is a question that I have most certainly asked myself, especially after seeing the picture above.
A New Year’s resolution is a secular tradition, most common in the West but found around the world, in which a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement starting on New Year’s Day.
Which of these most popular New Year’s resolutions have you set for yourself in 2014?
- Lose Weight
- Volunteer to Help Others
- Quit Smoking
- Get a Better Education
- Get a Better Job
- Save Money
- Get Fit
- Eat Healthy Food
- Manage Stress
- Manage Debt
- Take a Trip
- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
- Drink Less Alcohol
I find it interesting that a 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study’s participants were confident of success at the beginning.
Maybe this is why I never bothered to set one in the first place. I feel like I hear so many people state that they fail at their resolutions. I am glad that I made the choice to lose weight, eat better, and get into shape this past May instead of last January. I fear that if I had set this goal as a 2013 New Year’s resolution I may have failed. At least according to the study.
Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying “lose weight”), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.
“Resolutions are more sustainable when shared, both in terms of with whom you share the benefits of your resolution, and with whom you share the path of maintaining your resolution. Peer-support makes a difference in success rate with new year’s resolutions,” says Frank Ra in his book titled A Course in Happiness.
Since I’ve never set a New Year’s resolution before, and it says that women will succeed if they share their goals publicly, my New Year’s resolution is to continue to eat healthy and get fit by working out consistently four days per week. These seem like no brainers right?
Ok, so here goes…
I want to be able to bench press 65 pounds (half my body weight) by April 1. Then I want to be able to bench press 100 pounds by the end of the year. Oh, and losing 10 pounds would be nice too.
Have you set New Year’s resolutions in the past? Did you keep your resolution or give up? What kind of resolutions are you setting for yourself in 2014?
If you would like to see where I work out, click HERE.
