January 1. New year, new opportunities. You're motivated, maybe buy new sneakers, download a nutrition app and agree with yourself: this year I'm going to do things differently. Exercise more, eat healthier, stress less, sleep better. Sound familiar? Chances are you're not sitting here nodding in agreement for the first time.
Keeping good resolutions turns out to be harder than expected for many people. Not because we are lazy or lack discipline, but because we often keep making the same mistakes. In this blog you will read why it is so hard to keep your New Year's resolutions and you will get 5 practical tips to get results this year. Not just in January, but throughout the year.
Why are New Year's resolutions so hard to keep?
The idea of a fresh start is motivating. A new year feels like a blank page. Yet figures show the same thing every year: after a few weeks, many people fall back into their old habits. Many do not keep their resolutions for more than six to eight weeks.
This has little to do with motivation. It is often abundant in the beginning. The problem lies mainly in how we approach our resolutions. We want too much, too fast and without a clear plan. And as soon as life intervenes - work pressure, social obligations, fatigue - old patterns win out over good intentions.
New year, new intentions (and it doesn't have to be just in January)
Although good intentions are often linked to January, you don't have to wait for a new year to start at all. Every week, every month or even every day is a new time to make a different choice.
Still, January remains a powerful starting point. Many people start at the same time, which gives energy, but also creates pitfalls. You start enthusiastically, everything is going well, and then something happens. A busy work week, a dinner party, a bad night. You miss a workout or eat differently than planned.
Many people then think: see, I can't do it anyway - and quit. That relapse feels like failure, when in fact it is a normal part of change.
Keeping good intentions starts with understanding why things go wrong
Before looking at what does work, it is important to understand why resolutions fail so often. It's rarely due to a lack of motivation. In most cases, people start out extremely motivated.
Many resolutions are vaguely worded. "Live healthier" or "exercise more" sound good, but say little about what you will actually do today or this week. Without a concrete plan, you have to make new decisions every day, and that's exactly where things often go wrong.
In addition, we underestimate the power of habits. Discipline is finite. Habits almost always win. Especially when you try to flip nutrition, training, sleep, stress and work-life balance all at once. That's simply too much.
Finally, goals are often set too high. Ambition is good, but when a goal doesn't align with your current life, it quickly leads to frustration. One down week then feels like failure, when in fact it is a logical part of change.
The good news: these pitfalls are avoidable.
5 tips to keep your resolutions this year
Tip 1: Make your resolutions concrete and achievable
Not: I want to become fitter.
But: I will train 45 minutes twice a week.
The more concrete your goal, the easier it will be to take action. You know when you're "doing good" and that sense of progress works to motivate you.
Tip 2: Set a dot on the horizon, but focus on the process
Decide where you want to be in three or six months, but put the focus on what you are going to do this week.
Keeping good resolutions is not about perfection, but repetition. Move today. Making a conscious decision today.
Tip 3: Build habits instead of leaning on discipline
Discipline can get you started, but it's not a long-term strategy. What does work is automating behaviors.
Workout at set times. Get your workout clothes ready. Make healthy choices easier than unhealthy ones. The less thinking something takes, the more likely you are to keep doing it.
Tip 4: Don't change everything at once
New year, new you sounds good, but often backfires. Choose one or two focal points.
For example, structure exercise first and nutrition later. Small successes build confidence. And confidence is the basis for consistency.
Tip 5: Accept that relapse is part of the deal.
Keeping good intentions always involves ups and downs. You're going to have weeks when everything goes smoothly, and weeks when it goes less. That's part of the deal.
Relapse is not a failure. Quitting is. Every restart is progression.
Consistency is more important than motivation
Motivation comes and goes. Consistency stays. It's not the perfect weeks that make the difference, but the average weeks.
Two workouts a week, month after month, always win out over a short motivation spike in January.
The key is starting (every start is progression).
Many people wait for the perfect moment. More time, less stress, better conditions. That moment rarely comes.
Starting is messy, uncomfortable and far from perfect. And that's exactly how it should be. Every action counts. One walk counts. One workout counts. One conscious choice counts.
A good coach can make all the difference
Sometimes motivation is not the problem, but direction. Many people have tried everything: diets, challenges, loose schedules. With temporary results and then the well-known yo-yo effect.
A good coach provides overview, peace and structure. No quick fixes, but guidance that fits your life. Training, nutrition and lifestyle together form a whole. No perfection, but an approach that can be maintained.
Our Kick-Start 12-week coaching program is for people who are done with temporary solutions and want to work on lasting results. No crash diets, no unnecessary restrictions, but a solid foundation for the long term.
Conclusion
Keeping good intentions is not a matter of character, but of approach. With a concrete plan, realistic goals and the willingness to persevere even during lesser moments, you greatly increase your chances of success.
This year does not have to be a repeat of the previous one. It may also just be the year you kept showing up.
