Reflection makes a real resolution
It happens every year, especially after the holiday eating free-for-all many of us experience. And sometimes, we revisit it over and over, year after year. It’s that time of year where we take stock of our lives and decide that something has to change, so we make a New Year’s resolution that THIS year, things will be different!
And although having a desire to attempt to make changes is laudable, making a resolution and following through on one are two very different things. In fact, statistics tell us that only 38% of U.S. adults will make a resolution to begin with, and of that percentage, 72% make fitness and/or dieting resolutions. And of those who want to give a health change a try, only 9% will succeed after the end of the current year, with 80% quitting their resolution after the first six weeks. Now if you’re a believer in statistics, these are devastating numbers. Which may lead you to ask, well why make a resolution in the first place? After all, maybe the reason why only 38% do try is because the other 62% have already tried previously and failed, or worse don’t even care to make their lives better. Statistics like these bear out because, let’s face it, people are predictable. And if you want to be one of the 9% of successes, or want to be a statistics-buster, you’ll need to know how to make a lifestyle conversion like this stick. And this starts with an understanding of four big reasons why so many health related resolutions fail in the first place, and to afford yourself some reflection to see how it applies to you in your own life -
A Resolution is simply a statement. We “resolve” to make a change for the better. However, what happens after making a resolution is actually the most important part, to be successful it takes a conscientious effort to develop a strategy and tactics, and have a determination to achieve results. So if you don’t see results early on or if any progress seems to hit a brick wall, which is highly likely, then it becomes easier to justify quitting the activity we resolved to accomplish and give in to the statistics.
Playing the “finite game” instead of the “infinite game”. Changing to a healthier lifestyle is not a short-term endeavor. Becoming healthier is in fact a complete and permanent lifestyle transformation. And without that understanding, you are missing the most important part about making resolutions in the first place, which is to change your life for the better! Goalsetting and laying out objectives are a good thing within the finite sphere, because they will help move you in the right direction. But with a lifetime mission statement backed by a strong “why”, you will have a much stronger life vision that will help guide you through your journey, without the constant starts and stops.
Your body will resist change. Our bodies are energy metabolism machines that haven’t changed biologically for hundreds of thousands of years, and it’s primary function is focused on your daily survival. A big component of metabolic function is energy storage, which is a fancy way of saying we store excess energy that we don’t use immediately from the foods that we eat as fat. For most of human life, food was relatively scarce, but that’s not the case today. With so much food available, especially processed foods, it’s easy to overconsume food, which adds more fat (adipose tissue) to your body. You body and mind accept this gain and resets your body’s “homeostasis” (balance). So any significant loss in fat signals to the mind that food is scarce (even though it is not) and to lower your metabolic thermostat. This same effect occurs when you diet and go into calorie deficits - the body makes metabolic adjustments to make it harder for you to use up your fat stores. This is a function of your body attempting to keep you alive.
We have a built-in bias that favors negative outcomes. Our minds keep negative thoughts top of mind. Again this is a component of survival, as having a negativity bias allows us to ascertain threats faster, to a point where our minds release steroids and hormones in response that actively put us into a defensive posture. This negative “mental chatter” consumes about 70% of our daily thoughts, because hey, it’s better to be safe than sorry right? The problem, however, is that if we allow it to dominate our thinking, then we project bad outcomes easier and rationalize a way out. An example is that you’ve been working out for two weeks but have only become sore and don’t see any results, overestimating the perceived problem and “catastrophize” the results by telling yourself that you will NEVER lose weight! So why go through all of that pain and suffering for nothing, right?
To become a statistics buster and give yourself the best possible chance at making your health and wellness resolution stick, maybe the solution is NOT to make a resolution at all! Of course, a decision to change your lifestyle is essential for starting any journey. However, as the four points above suggest, being aware and understanding the mental pitfalls that often hijack our progress requires diligent “reflectivity”, looking at yourself in the metaphorical mirror, making assessments and playing the infinite game for a more long-term sustainable pathway towards better health by formulating a lifelong mission statement that will always be there to pull you along and keep you motivated. Then you can set up finite goals and activities, and maybe even reassess things, that continuously move you forward along your personal health and wellness journey!