Every single year, we see memes about everyone rushing to the gym in the month of January, then giving up in February, and thousands of comments ensue from gym meatheads saying “LOL so true,” probably followed by the 100 emoji and the crying laughing emoji. But why is this funny?
Why are we laughing about other people’s resolutions? A New Year’s resolution is meant to be something that betters you, or something you do that you haven’t tried before. Resolutions are meant to make not only yourself a better person, but make your year better than the last.
So when people make getting fit their resolution, it is simply because they want to better themselves and live a healthier lifestyle. They want to do better for themselves and work out and build muscle or maybe lose weight, and they are probably disappointed in themselves when they stop going, too.
Personally, getting fit has always been one of my resolutions. I try to do some at-home workouts with an app or go running more often or something like that, but eventually life gets in the way and I don’t have time to work out anymore. So if you see me in the gym in January but don’t see me at all in the gym in February– just know my life probably got too busy to continue working out.
But just because I’ve stopped going to the gym the past few years doesn’t mean I’m living an unhealthy lifestyle, and doesn’t give anyone else the right to judge for my decisions. And the same goes for you! People are not allowed to judge you for taking a break from your resolution, and are definitely not allowed to shame you for it either. Your resolutions are your business!
As I said, resolutions are hard to keep, and for me, it’s because I don’t have time to keep them up. So, here are a few tips to keep your resolutions going:
1. Block out your schedule. Using Google Calendar, I block out nearly every minute of my day. Study time, eating time, club meetings, classes, etc. They’re all in there. Once those are in there, make time for fulfilling your resolutions.
2. Remind yourself why. If you start to feel disconnected from your resolutions, remind yourself why you made that your resolution. What was your motivation? What is going to happen if you stop working toward your resolution? How will you feel if you give up?
3. Find a resolution buddy. If your resolution is going to the gym, find someone who already goes to the gym and join them! If you join someone who is also trying to make this their resolution, you have a lesser chance of being consistent in your goals together. But if you find someone who already has a consistent gym plan, you’ll be more likely to stick to it.
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Good luck with your resolutions– no matter what they are! And if they do include going to the gym more often, then you go girl! Remind yourself of your goals and stick to them as best as you can. Make yourself proud, kid!