As someone with a pretty active gym membership, there’s one pattern I see every year.  Right after the New Year, the gym is packed to the gills and if you want to get into your favorite classes, you better get to the gym early!   The teacher and the “regulars” are well aware of this phenomenon, and are also aware that eventually most of the “New Year’s Resolution” memberships will drift off over time and the gym will be back to its regular attendance.

A new year and a new decade is here. This is a perfect opportunity to shake off old habits that are weighing us down and create the life we truly want. Many start off highly motivated with their New Year’s resolutions, but interest wanes as time goes on. What’s the secret to maintaining New Year’s resolutions?

First we must remember that change is hard, but it is possible.

In the 1970’s, psychedelic soul band Funkadelic said,  “Free Your Mind, and Your Ass Will Follow.”

When it comes to “change,” its the other way around.  Bring your ass and the mind follows suit.  We can’t “think” our way into change… we first have to adopt the behavior and THEN the mind follows.

For example… if you are a couch potato but want to transform yourself into a gym rat, your brain is so used to your sedentary lifestyle, that any attempt to change will be your mind’s cue to bombard your with a plethora of excuses and justifications for you to stay on the couch.

“It’s cold out!”  “I’m tired!”  “I’ll start tomorrow!”

Understand what your brain is up to, and make a choice not to listen.  Tell your brain, “thanks for sharing!” and get off the couch anyway. THAT’s how you will win in 2010!

There is a common belief that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit or adopt a good one.  This is a bit of a simplification that probably started when Dr. Maxwell Maltz, MD, a plastic surgeon with New York Hospitals observed that it took 21 days for amputees to cease feeling phantom sensations in the amputated limb.  He concluded from this observation that this was how long it took the brain to re-map neuropathways.
There is now some psychological research that concludes it takes much longer than 21 days for a habit to become ingrained.

In a paper recently published in the European Journal of Social Psychology. Phillippa Lally and colleagues from University College London recruited 96 people who were interested in forming a new habit such as running for 15 minutes each day or eating a healthier diet. Lally et al. (2009).

When the researchers examined the different habits, many of the participants showed that it took 66 days (on average) for the habit to come naturally.

So, the bottom line is, action is the key to adopting new habits.  We don’t have to feel like partaking in the new behavior…  we just have to do it until we feel like doing it and then it comes naturally.
So, take yourself out of the equation.  I wasn’t always a fitness-enthusiast and had a few fits and starts with my gym membership.   What changed was I decided to look at going to the gym like I looked at my job.  There were days where I woke up and didn’t feel like going – but I had no choice – I had to go.  I took myself out of the equation.  I went to the gym every day (except Sunday) and felt great.  I actually woke up at 5:30 am to go so I could get my exercise in before I went to work and got wrapped up in the day.   Recently, that early schedule stopped working for me, so I now go at lunchtime.  Commitment to health pays off.  Consequently, I naturally eat better because I don’t want to blow all the work I’ve done at the gym.  In turn, I sleep better, feel better and my mood is consistently improved.  Now my brain tells me to go to the gym, rather than come up with excuses to sit on the couch and relax.

In short, when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, remember that thinking follows action, not the other way around.

Here are some other tips from the American Psychological Association on how to make New Year’s resolutions stick:

Start small — Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.

Change one behavior at a time — Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.

Talk about it— Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

Don’t beat yourself up — Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

Ask for support — Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues.

Welcome 2010! Let’s make the new year great!

Thanks for reading,