And a better way to approach change that you want to last
to you
Quitter’s Day is the second Friday of January.
It’s a day affectionately representing what typically happens with New Year’s resolutions – they rarely last, not even two weeks.
Based on how most people approach their New Year’s ambitions, the prominence of this Quitter’s Day theme is actually not surprising.
Think of how tempting it is to assume you’ll get the best results from going to the gym nearly every day and pushing really hard each time.
And how easy it is to think that if you really want to lose weight, you have to be really strict with your diet and never give in to any cravings.
Following those assumptions is brutally hard work, but thoughts of looking better in your clothes, in pictures, and even at the beach next summer keep you going … for a while.
Then reality strikes.
As much of a Promise Land as those visions may seem like, it eventually won’t be enough to get you through the tough moments likely headed your way – like when your exhausted body wants to lie on the couch instead of going to the gym, or when your cravings grow so strong that it would take a SWAT team to prevent you from eating everything in sight.
But that’s only for the most dedicated. Most people will give in long before that … probably before Quitter’s Day.
It’s all or nothing until all becomes too much, and nothing is the easiest and most appealing alternative.
There are two factors at play here: meaning and sustainability.
Your desired outcome needs to have enough meaning to balance the difficulty level of the changes you’re taking on.
We all want to look good, but for most of us, that doesn’t run deep enough to inspire enough motivation – at least not for long enough.
And even with all the meaning in the world, the amount of change you’re taking on needs to be reasonable.
Unless you’re chasing a temporary outcome, the more aggressive you are with change, the less likely it is to last.
This can range from the overwhelm of trying to change too many things at once to simply taking a single change way too far.
Someone who wants to run a marathon (and actually makes it happen) doesn’t start their training with 10-mile runs. They start with short, easy runs and gradually progress as their fitness improves.
The same goes for making lasting improvements in health, wellness, and quality of life – it doesn’t happen by reinventing your lifestyle overnight.
For this January (and beyond) to be different, you need to be clear on the following two things:
- The meaning behind your desired outcome – it must be strong enough to keep you going when the going gets tough
- The manageable, but effective steps that will start moving you closer to that desired outcome.
Next week, we’ll dive deeper into fully leveraging these two factors.
Happy New Year!
Dr. Vin
If you’d like one-on-one guidance building sustainable habits, schedule a free call with Coach Kayla to find out if our coaching is a good fit for you.
No pressure to commit – just an honest conversation about your situation, our coaching process, and how well the two match.
📧 Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here