Resolutions That Stick
Taking on a new goal is exciting, especially with the vision of our end result in mind. Unfortunately, we tend to imagine only the end result, forgetting to consider exactly what we need to do to make it happen.
Most people who set new year resolutions give up on their goal in as little as 2 weeks! The New York Post reported that “Research conducted by Strava, the social network for athletes, has discovered that Saturday, Jan. 12, is the fateful day of New Year’s resolutions.”
So how are you going to get past January 12? Here are the strategies I’ve learned from my career as an Olympic athlete and coach.
Be Specific
Whatever your resolution is, make sure to define it clearly.
Not Good: “Get fit this year.”
Good: “Workout consistently”
Better: “Workout 3x per week”
Best: “Run twice weekly and go to the gym once weekly.”
Whatever your goal is, make sure to specify exactly what it means!
Plan It
Consider what needs to actually happen to be successful.
If your goal is to run twice and hit the gym once a week, on what days can you do this? And at what time of day? Will you have to tear yourself away from your family or other responsibilities? If so, are you prepared to do that?
Want a new PR? Consider what has worked in the past and what hasn't. Maybe it’s time to choose a new training plan, or work with a coach, or connect with some training partners.
Perfection Not Required!
The quickest way to get derailed from a new resolution is by expecting things to always go according to plan. When they don’t, we get discouraged and give up.
It’s important to expect bumps along the road! As a coach I tell runners that the goal in training is consistency, not perfection. It really doesn’t matter if we miss a workout or run occasionally in the context of months and even years of consistent training.
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If you fall off track then just get back on track. Missed a training day? Missed a whole week of training? Pick yourself up and start fresh.
Schedule Some Breaks
Why do runners do interval workouts? Because it’s impossible to run the paces we hit during interval workouts without taking breaks to rest. The breaks allow us to recover physically AND the breaks allow us to mentally focus on small bits (a single interval) at a time, versus the whole workout.
The same concept applies to making resolutions. It’s pretty hard to achieve something new and challenging without taking some breaks. We need to allow breaks to recover physically and to help us remain committed mentally.
(I really do not encourage “streaks” for resolutions because the whole motivation is to never miss. It’s over when we miss.)
Accountability
Do you need someone in your corner as you work toward your running goals in the new year? With Online Training, you’ll not only have a completely custom-for-you training plan, but you’ll also have a coach to help you celebrate all the little wins. SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION
Nicole Sifuentes is a 2x Olympic Runner for Canada. She is now a retired athlete coaching runners of all abilities with totally individualized training plans and unlimited communication. She has 3 years of coaching experience at the NCAA D1 level for 3 years as an assistant at the University of Michigan and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.