Only eight out of a hundred people will do it. With such a small amount, the statistic could be speaking of the few people who find joy in spider eating, or jumping off the space needle…or how many win the lottery if it’s an especially lucky day. But, it’s none of the sort. 8% is how many human beings make and stick with their New Year’s Resolution. We are now a month into 2014 and coming to the time where that goal begins to dwindle, people begin to forget, and those originally great intentions fade out.
So, why has this become such a normal routine, to thoughtlessly commit to a goal that will almost assuredly be forgotten? Being realistic and honest with yourself is the first step. No one expects you to be able to achieve running 10 miles everyday if you haven’t put on the running shoes in the last 5 years.  Wren Pullig, a freshman, made a resolution to eat more carbs to gain more mass. “I am trying to slowly up my calories so that it’s not all at once,” Pullig explains. The online website Gaiam Life, explains one key component of making a realistic goal is planning ahead. Are you really going to agree with that goal you made at midnight on New Years Eve when you wake up and actually have to stop eating all sugar? Probably not. Even planning several weeks in advance and writing what you want to see as an outcome and how you will deal with the temptation to cheat. Courtney Montgomery, 12, says, “I made a plan to start exercising everyday in December. I prepared by buying a gym membership and getting one of my friends to join me.”
Want to know a secret? Of course you do. It takes about 21 days for a new habit to form and six MONTHS, for that habit to become a part of your personality. People are usually susceptible to caving in when they “cheat” once. That’s why motivation is key. Motivation can come in the form of an accountability partner who is going through the same as you or rewarding yourself. If its been a month and you are still going strong on working out each day, allow yourself to buy some new athletic clothes or go out to eat.
Over a month in, Montgomery has been able to get to the gym at least 6 days a week without fail. “My accountability partner tries to work out with me too and has on more than one occasion “forced” me to come when I don’t want to. In the end, its all about not letting willpower overcome habit,” Montgomery concludes.