The Mindset Junkie: Why resolutions are usually a waste of time

I’m in no way saying not to set resolutions or goals for the New Year. Quite the opposite in fact. I coach and guide everyone to do exactly that but with a difference.

I help all the clients I coach understand effective ways of setting the right types of goals and, more importantly, the work that’s needed at a deeper level to actually see them through.

Ninety five per cent of those who sign up to a gym this year won’t continue into February and that stat is roughly the same every single year.

And it probably won’t change either because, let’s face it, the real change that’s needed doesn’t happen.

You see, the same type of thinking will always lead to the same type of results. It can’t be any other way. Until we really change how we think and change how we feel about ourselves at a much deeper level, then a lot of the same results will keep appearing and this is the issue with most people’s resolutions.

You may have heard the term that you cannot out-perform a negative self image but let me explain.

You see we all have two images. The image we are aware of or conscious of, that image we project out into the world to our friends through our social media profiles and more. Is that really you?

If we are totally honest, the vast majority of times it is not and it’s here that the confusion, frustration and self- sabotage kicks in so many times.

We genuinely do mean the New Year resolutions and goals we set but that doesn’t always count.

At a conscious level, when we sit down to write them, we are excited, motivated and raring to go. New year, new me and all that!

That initial motivation is usually enough to get us started and over the gym door but what ensues internally is something different sooner or later.

You are getting up again at what time tomorrow, 5am? Who do you think you are? Stay in bed it’s nice and warm. Don’t even bother setting that alarm tonight because we aren’t getting up!

Who the hell was that? It certainly wasn’t the person who joined up to the gym last week or who sat and wrote out all those resolutions?

It definitely wasn’t the person that headed around Sainsburys with a trolly full of veggies and lean meats for the new diet plan!

No. It was that other person who controls 95 per cent of the actions you take every single day, the actions that you perform without even thinking about most of the time.

Your New Year plans and resolutions have upset the applecart and he or she doesn’t like it. That deeper image we hold of ourselves isn’t the one that signed up to the gym and, here, the battle begins!

You see, if the image we have of ourselves isn’t in line with the goals and resolutions we just set then sooner or later we fall back into our old familiar routines. We then fall back into that comfort zone and stay there, usually until the next year comes around again.

To change we must first really want it. The saying that change happens through inspiration or desperation rings true.

Whichever one it is isn’t really important. What is important is that you do what is needed to finally feel how you truly want.