What It Looks Like to Stick With a New Year’s Resolution (the Good, the Bad, the Ugly, & the Comeback)
By the end of 2018 I was aware of a problem. A shortcoming in my own health journey, which could use some improvement.
That shortcoming was strength training.
The US Physical Activity Guidelines for adults are:
Aerobic Exercise - At least 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of moderate intensity exercise per week, or one hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous intensity exercise per week, or a combination of both.
Strength/Resistance Exercise - Strength training of each major muscle group (chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abdomen, quadriceps, and hamstrings) 2-3 times per week, on non-consecutive days (48 hours apart).
The first guideline is easy for me. It hasn’t always been easy, but over time I’ve learned to enjoy aerobic activity, typically in the form of a run or brisk walk outdoors. I see this as something I get to do — a treat that improves my mental health as much as my physical health.
Then there’s strength training… Unfortunately I’m not as eager to do this.
I love having done a good strength workout… I even love the post-workout soreness, which lets me know how hard I worked. And I love the physical results of strength training — the firming and toning that aerobic activity doesn’t provide. But I can’t say I enjoy the strength workout itself.
Some people love the release of aggression that a strength workout offers. Many find it stress-relieving. Others approach it as an exercise in mindfulness — a way to be “in the moment.” I just want it to be over.
I found myself dreading these workouts, and putting them off. So I decided to place strength training front and center in 2019. My New Year’s resolution was to perform an average of two strength exercises every day, 730 over the course of the year.
What I Thought Would Happen
In theory, this was going to work great. I would build the habit of doing two strength exercises each morning before taking a shower and getting ready for the day.
This brilliant plan of mine would be:
Quick & Easy. Only two strength exercises daily. No big workout to dread. How hard can that be?!
Convenient. I could do it at home, or anywhere… in my pajamas if I wanted to!
Efficient. It wouldn’t involve me driving to a gym or getting ready.
As the year began, and my motivation was high, I envisioned myself surpassing this goal. I thought, Maybe I’ll get into a good routine and want to do even more! Wouldn’t it be awesome if I did over 800?
Unfortunately that’s not what happened. If only taking action was as easy as the dreaming…
What Actually Happened
My plan worked really well… for the first three weeks.
In week #4 I fell behind, by 4 strength exercises.
No big deal… I caught up the following week. And I continued this pattern of falling behind then catching up for 16 weeks.
At week #20 I once again fell behind by 4 exercises. But this time I didn’t recover the following week. The next week I was down by 6, then 8 the following week.
I continued to do strength exercises and keep track, but I was struggling with motivation. I fell further and further behind, which only worsened my motivation problem.
By week #35 I found myself behind by 60 strength exercises. (Yikes!)
“Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.” -Cavett Robert
Well, the excitement of the moment was long gone for me. And my character was becoming one of indifference.
But thanks to the power of public accountability (having posted my resolution on the blog), failure to reach my goal was not an option. The question was never if I would make up the difference and stick with my resolution. The question was how I would buck up and get the job done.
Rethinking My Plan
With only 17 weeks left in the year, this meant that I needed to average 17.5 strength exercises each week, for the rest of the year.
How would I pull this off, when I was struggling to do 14 per week?
I had initially decided on 2 strength exercises/day because I thought this approach would be quick, easy, convenient, and efficient.
In theory, it was. But in practice, not so much.
Let’s revisit the “advantages” of my brilliant plan:
Quick & Easy. It was only two exercises… when I was caught up. When I was behind, however, I needed to do more. So it frequently turned into a bigger workout that I dreaded.
Convenient. I could do it at home… which was precisely the problem. There are lots and lots of distractions at home. There’s also not much accountability at home. No trainer or class to keep me focused.
Efficient. I didn’t have to get ready or drive anywhere, which saved me some time. But the distractions and inefficiency of dragging out my workouts at home made up for this.
What Saved Me
“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” -Tony Robbins
When my home strength program didn’t work out so well, I decided to try a strength class at the YMCA.
Going to a new fitness class for the first time is always uncomfortable and awkward. I promptly explained to the first person I met, “I’ve never done this class before and have no idea what I’m doing.”
She kindly showed me where to get a stepping platform, weights, bar, and mat. And she said, “Expect to be sore tomorrow!”
She wasn’t kidding. I was sore… and loved it. What I really loved was the fact that I worked every major muscle group in one hour. This was way more efficient than what I was doing at home.
I had found my saving grace. I went through my calendar and put this class on my schedule whenever I could make it. I also continued some home strength exercises here and there.
And by the end of the year, I met my goal, doing a total of 732 strength exercises. It wasn’t the impressive, over-achieving 800 I had envisioned at the start of the year, but it was a win nonetheless.
3 Tips for Keeping a New Year’s Resolution
Three big lessons learned from last year’s resolution are this:
The importance of accountability.
The importance of keeping score, even when (especially when) you fall behind.
What works on paper doesn’t always work in real life. Don’t be afraid to switch things up and try a different approach.
How about you?
What’s your experience with New Year’s resolutions? What have you found helpful? I’d love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment below!
This post was originally published on January 9, 2020.
