January 17th, is the day we give up on our New Year’s resolutions apparently
According to this article – Strava a social network for athletes that tracks runs and bike rides , found Jan. 17 is the day most people lose sight of their goals
Two and a half weeks into , that is how long it takes most people to abandon their New Year’s resolutions? After analyzing more than 685 million activities, Strava apparently concluded that Jan. 17 is the day that most people give up on their fitness goals.
I haven’t seen the research but suspect that in many cases the resolutions being given up on might have had a better chance if –
They were not made on the first of January
They were shared with others – family, friends or a buddy on the same path
They were realistic (running a marathon in a couple of months – probably not so much for an average person)
There was a plan. If you haven’t invested the time preparing – even trying out an activity or a new skill – its all uphill
Progress was tracked. If you only managed 2 runs rather than none – celebrate it and aim to repeat and increase
Slipups were accepted and if they happened – recommit to the target and start again.
It takes time to make good habits and a lot less to make bad ones.
Change is not an overnight thing. It requires a lot of repetition and commitment. To give up something habitual or to take on to do something new is not easy – but its not impossible.
So if you are thinking about ditching that resolution – its definitely not too late to reaffirm your resolution.
Good Luck!