Quitter’s Day?
January 17, 2022 is known as Quitter’s Day – when more than 800 million people will ditch their New Year’s Resolutions. According to a Scranton University study, 80% of people who declare a resolution on January 1st never make it.
This doesn’t mean that you should forget your dreams and the excitement you felt when you were creating that resolution. You just need to reframe it in a different way.
Create a Goal, not an Outcome
You want to be sure to start off with a specific GOAL, not the outcome the goal will bring you. For example, if your outcome is to look great in a bathing suit by summer, you may have two goals: to lose 10 lbs AND to exercise 3 times per week. These are two separate goals and should be broken down further.
Create a SMART Goal
One of the best ways to do this is to reframe what you want to achieve into a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-specific.
Let’s look at the goal of exercising 3 times per week from January until May
| Is it Specific? | Yes |
| Is it Measurable? | Yes, I can plan it on my calendar |
| Is it Achievable? | Yes, I am physically able to do this |
| Is it Realistic? | Yes, I can fit in 3 times per week |
| Is it Time-specific? | Yes, from January until May |
Break down the goal into steps
Now break down the goal into tiny steps. In the example of exercising 3 times per week the steps could be: join a gym, buy new sneakers and mark the dates on my calendar.
Anticipate obstacles and challenges
This is where many dreams get shut down. If you don’t anticipate the challenges that could come up (and they will), you may get derailed and quit the whole thing. Once you anticipate the challenges, come up with a possible solution for each one. For example:
| Obstacle/Challenge | Solution |
| A snowstorm prevents me from driving to the gym | I will download a workout app on my phone ahead of time so I can complete the workouts at home |
| Unexpected meetings come up during my exercise time | Block time off my calendar and create an Out of Office response, letting people know I’ll be back shortly |
| I just don’t feel like doing it | Find an accountability buddy to come to the gym with me or to hold me accountable to my plans |
Find an Accountability Partner
People are 65 percent more likely to meet a goal when they commit to another person. The rate of success increases to 95 percent when they meet with that partner on a regular basis! Finding a partner to join you in the gym or check on you weekly can make all the difference in reaching your goal.
Don’t be one of the 800 million people who quit this January 17th. Use these steps to reach your goals in 2022.
If you need any help creating a plan for your goal or with accountability, reach out to me at lisa@lisademarcocoaching.com. We can work on breaking your goal down into manageable steps, overcoming obstacles and creating accountability so you CAN make this the best year ever!