The REAL Reason Why the Majority of People Fail Their New Year's Resolutions

Ah, a new year approaches once again. Time for holiday cheer has just about passed us by (that is, if you're one of those people who mistakenly believes that the holidays are the ONLY time to be cheery and generous, or on the flipside, one who hates the holiday season altogether), and the conclusion of it all approaches at the end of the year 2017.

This is and should be a time for new beginnings. New growth, both personal and external, and overall, the time for a new future built from the ashes of the old. It's a beautiful thing, a beautiful idea, really, and it's no wonder that so many people across the globe decide to take full advantage of this new age in the form of a sort of contract with themselves, a resolution to never give up on the new set of goals that they have set for themselves, no matter what they may be.

Hence, the creation of New Year's Resolutions, and the swarm of people busting down the doors of gyms, fitness clubs, and even the produce sections of grocery stores in order to make their resolution, their dream, a reality.

Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of these courageous, over-eager, and newly bred fitness warriors will inevitably drop off the face of the planet within a month, at best, with only a select few making it past the second month and beyond.

Why is this? I've covered a few of the problems that arise with the mentality and general approach of New Year's Resolutions in the past, but there's one in particular, a wolf in sheep's clothing that threatens the goals and lives of so many, that I want to expose with this blog post: the source of motivation.

Let's face it, for the average person, working out and eating healthy aren't very much fun at all. In fact, many people grow to absolutely hate these things more and more with every passing day, eventually leading to the downfall of their revolutionary vows undertaken for the New Year. So, why do they even continue past the first week, if they do so at all?

Simple, the source of their motivation is not one of self-improvement and seeking a better life for not only themselves but everyone that they interact with through the multitude of ways that an improvement in health and fitness can influence one's life. Rather, their motivation stems from a deep, dark place within the darkest parts of their mind: self-hatred.

Sure, the resolutioner may hate every second of their grueling workout, and they may indeed hate every ounce of broccoli that passes through their lips, but above all else, they hate themselves for hating these things, in a sense. They hate that they have allowed themselves to fall so far beforehand. They hate the way they look, the way they feel, and even the fact that they feel the need to make such resolutions in the first place.

Overall, their flame of passion that fuels every movement, every decision during this brief stint in their life is fueled by an admittedly powerful, yet entirely unsustainable source: self-loathing and hatred. They seek to change their lives because to do otherwise is to accept all of their perceived failings, to continue to live a life that does not provide them with the content feelings of someone who has achieved what they want to in life, despite the material possessions and/or acquisitions that they may have made in their lives so far.

So what's the solution to this? How does one turn from a life, a motivation dominated by hatred, and finally achieve the goals they wish to achieve?

First and foremost, get rid of the idea that "Once I hit X number/milestone, I'll finally be happy." As pleasant as this may seem, like a beacon of light in the distance during a time of darkness, it is this type of goal that leads to, whether you'd like to admit it or not, a goal that is both unachievable and unsustainable.

If you feel the need to hit a certain bodyweight, earn a certain amount of money, or even get a significant other in a certain amount of time, the sad truth is that you will never be satisfied. Self-improvement is something that should never cease, and despite what you may think, your body will always yearn for more.

Perhaps you eventually reach "X" amount of whatever. Then what? Does a switch suddenly get flipped, and now you're just perfectly content?

No, the harsh reality is that, as you will quickly find out, "X" is never quite enough, and you will either keep pushing in hopes of somehow achieving happiness through an even more unrealistic number requiring more sacrifice and such, self-hatred to fuel your efforts, which, as you may have guessed, will make you just another statistic amongst a sea of resolutioners who inevitably met their demise at the hands of their own self-hatred.

The solution, as such, is simple enough to say, but difficult to execute; although, the payoff for changing your goals will be well worth it in the end. Instead of focusing on numbers, specific timeframes, and states of being that will "somehow" make you happy, simply learn to love the practice.

Don't like lifting weights in the traditional style your coach taught you? Find a way that works for you, some modality of exercise that gives you everything you need, even if that just means walking for an extra twenty minutes per day, taking some time to yourself, and just meditating as your body flows along with your mind through the pleasurable form of activity that you were always meant to do, but afraid to try.

This is why I'm such a huge proponent of finding what works for the individual (look out for my health and fitness book coming out in the near future, along with future blog posts for exact details on this) and why I am so opposed to following cookie-cutter templates for diet and exercise.

Fact is, you can have the most scientifically proven and efficacious exercise and diet routine handed to you on a silver platter by the world's leading coach, but if you hate every second of it, then what's the point?

Most importantly, if you fail to find peace with where you are, if you keep using hate as your fuel to ignite the passion to change yourself, how far do you really expect to get before you burn out, and fall off the wagon altogether?

I've rambled on enough for the time being, but if you take away anything from this article, just remember this: learn to love the process, embrace every part of who you are and will be, and go into this journey with a completely open mind, while paying careful attention to the real signals that your body sends you all the while, positive or negative.

That's all for now, my fellow resolutioners! If you enjoyed the article please consider lending me ssome support on Kindle Scout (It's INCREDIBLY important to me) through the following link posted below, subscribing to my newsletter using the widget in the top right of the page, and possibly supporting my Amazon affiliate links to the products I trust; products that will inevitably make you feel better, look better, and even think more clearly to become the best version of yourself that you can be.