What To Do When Your New Year Resolution Fails?
January.
That magical month when the gyms are packed, kale mysteriously disappears from supermarket shelves, and every social media post seems to feature the words “new year, new you.” But let’s face it: by mid-January, many of us may have fallen off the resolution wagon. If you’re staring at an untouched yoga mat or have yet to open that meal-prep container, you’re not alone. In fact, studies show that around 80% of resolutions fail by February.
But never fear dear sweaters. Here’s how to pick yourself up, dust off your trainers, and keep moving forward.
Embrace the Fail
For starters, let’s remove the remorse. The fact that you didn’t meet your target doesn’t say you are not motivated, ambitious or energetic enough, it happens! Instead of focusing on negative feelings, take a moment to laugh about it. Even the most successful people fail now, and then; it’s how we learn.
Failing is part of the learning journey, but it is not the end of the process and shouldn’t be the end of the line.
Revisit Your “Why”
Ask yourself why you set this resolution in the first place. Was it to feel healthier, boost your confidence, or try something new? If you made a resolution to fit in or because you feel you should, instead of genuinely wanting change, you’re less likely to achieve it.
So, be honest with yourself and think about what you want to achieve. If there is a genuine change you want, as opposed to the change you think most people want to achieve, focus on that.
Set Smaller, Realistic Goals
The reason you failed might be that you went too big! An ultra-marathon in March, having done zero training or no sugar forever, may seem quite exciting theoretically, but you’re also setting the bar high. Your resolution or goal should be a challenge, but it should be something you can realistically achieve. It might take some time to find the sweet spot!
For example, maybe set smaller goals to get what you really want. If you’ve never run before, you can start practising with a 5K instead of a marathon. In lieu of avoiding sugar as much as possible, you can dwell on simply reducing how much you put into your coffee. Over time, achieving these small goals will help you to achieve the big goal you really want in life.
Find Your Tribe
If you try to change yourself alone, it is often difficult. There are many sayings to consider in life, but “a problem shared is a problem halved” is applicable here. If you work out with others, you are more likely to turn up and be more motivated. It’s hard to get out of bed in the pitch black and freezing cold when it’s just yourself, but it becomes a more manageable task if you’re meeting someone. The number of times I’d have just sacked off a training ride on a Sunday morning, but for the three other people waiting for me in the cold and dark.
If you have friends or family members who want to make the same changes as you, work with them. If you don’t know others in your position, find a group you can join. Local running clubs are everywhere now and pitched at all levels.
Make It Fun
January can be a serious month, it’s dark, bleak and often a very long way from pay day. So consider reducing the gloom. If adding in running to this isn’t going to help, but you really want to add cardio to your life, try dancing, cycling or hiking. If you think salads are boring, look for new recipes or take a cooking class to spice up your diet, and boost your outlook on the food you eat.
When you enjoy what you do, it becomes easier to do it more often.
Be Flexible
In your ideal life, sticking to a daily or weekly schedule is easy. Life is far from ideal, and if things get in the way, that’s okay. If you can, take a moment to see if you can move things around or make sure you come back better and stronger the following day or week; again, learn from where it went wrong and fix that. Then the following week it’ll be better.
There are many ways to manage this, but many people on social media refer to the Two-Day Rule. It’s okay to miss a single day at any point, but you cannot miss two days. (The same can be applied to weeks or sessions.) If you miss a day, that’s okay; just get back to it as quickly as you can.
Start Again
Following on from the last point, if you miss something or break a resolution, when you realise that you’ve stopped, just start again. Every new day is a new opportunity, hour, and minute! The idea of making a life-changing decision on January 1 is appealing, but ultimately, you can decide to change your life for the better whenever you want.
No matter how your 2025 has started, it can get better. If you’re doing well so far, great. You should have pride in that and keep going. If you know things could be better, that’s okay. At least you recognise this, and it’s in your power to make changes. We’re looking to do our best in 2025, and we’re sure you are, too.
Resources:
Strava: Most New Years Resolutions Abandoned On January 19 - https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-800-million-activities-predicts-most-new-years-resolutions-will-be-abandoned-on-january-19-how-you-cancreate-new-habits-that-actually-stick.html
The two-day rule: https://www.managinghappiness.com/productivity/the-two-day-rule
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