So we began the discussion yesterday on why so many of our new resolutions fail – why they are somewhat easy to make, yet so hard to follow through with.

Today we will take you through a few more reasons why these resolutions don’t see the end of January.

“Instead of trying to change your entire life in January, the simpler strategy is to adopt a 12-month plan where you’re making constant improvements.”

You Don’t Enjoy the Process
Is it any wonder people struggle with their weight when they see eating as a chore and exercise as a dreadful bore?
The best fitness plan is one that causes the least interruption to your daily life. The goal isn’t to add stress to your life, but rather to remove it.

The best of us couldn’t bring ourselves to do something we hate consistently, so make getting in shape fun, however you going to do it.

That could be participating in a sport you love, exercising with a good friend or two, joining a group exercise class so you can meet new people, or giving yourself one “free day” per week where you forget about your training plan and exercise in any way you please.

You’re Trying Too Hard
Unless you want to experience some nasty cravings, don’t deprive your body of pleasure. The more you tell yourself you can’t have food, the more you’re going to want it.
As long as you’re making positive choices 80-90% of the time, don’t sweat the occasional indulgence.

You Don’t Track Your Progress
Keeping a written record of your training progress will help you sustain an “I CAN do this” attitude. All you need is a notebook and a pen.
For every workout, record what exercises you do, the number of repetitions performed, and how much weight you lost, if applicable. Your goal? Do better next time.

Improving your best performance on a regular basis offers positive feedback that will encourage you to keep going.

You Have No Social Support
It can be hard to stay motivated when you feel alone. The good news? You’re not alone: far from it. Its always good to involve a friend or perhaps even a spouse, they can provide companionship, encouragement and motivation and can even be your score keeper to give you true analysis of where you are and how well you doing. Remember, “Strength in numbers is powerful, so use it to your advantage.”

New Year Resolutions Can Have an Opposite Effect
If you fall into the category of people who have made new resolutions in the past and have failed, then you would easily relate to this fact. People make different resolutions like quitting smoking, eating less, waking up early, exercising regularly, etc.
However, as time passes, the resolve to continue on the path weakens, and people fall back to their old habits.

The worst part is that they are worse than before in terms of their resolve keep! For example, people tend to smoke more once they take up the habit again after a failed new year’s resolution, and the same goes with other resolutions.

Now just think about it! Instead of eating healthier, people fall back on their old habits of eating junk food!

Isn’t it bad that smokers who puffed five cigarettes a day now consume more than ten after the failed effort?
All these efforts just to make things worse!