The Resolution Trap

It’s January 8th. The initial buzz of New Year’s has faded, the decorations are likely already down, and reality is setting in. That shiny new gym membership card may for some already be gathering dust, the kale smoothie experiment might have ended in a green, pulpy, inedible disaster, and an evening on the couch watching the latest additions to Netflix is starting to look awfully inviting again.

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re officially one week into the year, and the infamous “resolution trap” is already claiming the first of many victims. Those grand plans of early morning runs in preparation for the Spring marathon you signed up for, the throwing out of all remaining chocolate to start a post-Christmas detox, and the complete lifestyle overhaul you’ve been attempting, all start to feel a little… well, overwhelming.

But before all seems lost and you look to throw in the towel, resigning yourself to another year of potentially unfilled ambitions, let’s take a step back and firstly understand why this happens. Why do our initial bursts of motivation fizzle out faster than a cheap firework?

The answer, as with most things in life, lies in our human nature. We tend to approach resolutions with a “new year, new me” mentality, believing that a fresh start requires a complete overhaul of who we are. We envision a future where we’re effortlessly crushing workouts week-on-week, making health choices with unwavering discipline. But we often forget one crucial factor: the power of our existing habits.

Think of it like this: you’re trying to build a skyscraper (your new, healthy lifestyle) on a foundation of wobbly Jenga blocks (your old habits). No matter how impressive the skyscraper looks in principle, how strong your desire is to live in it, it’s bound to topple at some point without a stable base supporting it. Those ingrained habits you’ve acquired - the late-night scrolling, the takeaway temptations, the “just one more episode” syndrome - are the unstable blocks in your foundation. And ignoring them is setting yourself up for an eventual structural collapse.

Another common pitfall so often seen is the “all-or-nothing” approach. We tend to think that big grandiose changes require drastic measures. So, we ditch all our favourite foods, sign up for a gruelling bootcamp, and vow to become fitness fanatics overnight. It’s like trying to learn a new language by memorising the dictionary in a week. You might impress your friends with a few new words or phrases in Spanish, but you’re unlikely to be fluent any time soon.

But here’s the encouraging part: escaping the resolution trap is entirely within your own grasp. It starts with acknowledging the psychology at play behind our self-sabotage and adopting a more sustainable, and inevitability more compassionate approach to behaviour change. Instead of aiming for complete transformation of all that we are, focus on small manageable changes that stack on top of each other. Swap the afternoon biscuits for a piece of fruit, park further away from the shop and walk the extra distance, take the stairs instead of the elevator where possible. These sound seemingly insignificant, even cliche, but when repeated consistently, they become the sturdy bricks that build the solid foundation for lasting change that’s needed.

Remember, building a healthier lifestyle is like learning a musical instrument. It requires patience, repeated practice, and a willingness to embrace the occasional off-note. There will be frustrating days, moments of doubt, and the temptation to quit. But with consistent effort, and a supportive slice of self-compassion, you’ll gradually take the steps needed for a healthier, and hopefully happier, you.

So as you navigate the second week of January and beyond, remember this: ditch the drastic overhauls if they’re looking to be unsustainable, embrace the small victories you’ve achieved already and those to come, and be kind to yourself with the attempts you’ve made so far. The goal isn’t to just achieve a fleeting New Year’s resolution, if it was, what would be the point in trying? Instead, it’s to cultivate a lifestyle moving forward that supports you fully in your health and fitness for the long-term. After all, you’ve got fifty-one more weeks to go. This is a marathon, not a sprint.