How To Make New Year’s Resolutions That Will Actually Work

Now this article is certainly not to criticise anybody for their intentions or for trying their best.  But equally this article is also not going to be another one offering tips for 2025 that you’ve read a thousand times before, or that would take you 5 seconds to find on the internet with advice such as:

• Set Clear Goals:
• Break Goals into Smaller Tasks:
• Create a Vision Board:
• Develop a Routine:
• Stay Positive:
• Reward Yourself:
• Find an Accountability Partner:
• Reflect Regularly:
• Learn from Setbacks:
• Mix Things Up:
• Stay Healthy:
• Practice Mindfulness:
• Celebrate the New Year:

All of which is valid advice.

Yet why is it that for many people year after year, the above advice doesn’t work?

Why are we motivated for a week or two or even a day or two, but then the motivation passes and the ‘new year new me’, becomes a distant memory?

More importantly what can we do about it?

It starts with understanding 2 key elements:

1 – Understanding Yourself, & Be Kind

To you.  First of all, I must remind you that you are but a mere human being.  You will always have ups and downs and highs and lows, and that (I’m sure you’re very close), you are not perfect.  With that in mind, try and be nice to yourself about yourself.  Give yourself a pat on the back when things are going well and heading in the right direction.  Equally, try not to be too tough on yourself if you fall off the training and exercise wagon.

Take the lessons from the good and the indifferent and keep taking small steps forward.  Remember the saying that “there is no such thing as failure, only feedback”.

2 – Understand The Challenges

There are 3 key challenges we are faced with.

/ – There are many of us who don’t enjoy training & exercise – and often struggle to connect with the ‘rewards’ of training and exercise whilst we are participating in the moment, but also before heading to the gym.  When we are not connected to the rewards, it’s easy to replace training and exercise for something that our mind believes is far more rewarding.  That can include ticking off tasks from our task list that we tell ourselves are a “higher priority”, doing jobs we perceive have to be done “right now” or anything other reason to give yourself permission not to attend.  Achieving these important tasks gives us a blast of dopamine and we feel great for the very short term.  However, that’s soon replaced by feeling of guilt, self-loathing, and angst for our non-attendance.  As I always say – ‘short term pleasure = long term pain’.

// – We are busier than ever – trying to find the time to balance a family life, a career, running a home, and more.  Never mind finding time for ourselves.  In this fast paced and busy world, it’s not easy.

/// – Today’s solutions have become tomorrow’s problems – Modern day life is detraining an extremely crucial skill in pretty much all of us, and that is the ability to handle frustration.  We can purchase our latest gadget online fast; we can order food and have it delivered fast, and the world of technology means everything is instant and at the click of our fingers.  This however is not the case for your training and exercise results in the gym.  Your results take time, effort, and hard work.  Lasting change is something that will not happen overnight.

Putting all this together means it’s easy to forget our best intentions, or simply find something that is more important or more of a priority than training and exercise in the given moment, and then simply cancel.  The frustration from non-attendance builds, and before we know it the cycle of non-attendance continues, the negative feedback loop continues, and despite us not feeling too good in ourselves, the task at hand appears too great, and we quit.

But again, what can we do about it?

Because that’s enough of the doom and gloom (understanding all of this about yourself is a huge step forward in breaking this negative loop).

But also because I believe there is another solution.

And it’s a fairly simple one that will enable you to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted with your training and exercise goals.

And that is to search for a higher purpose.

By that I mean – to train for something that you perceive is more “important” than many of the things that take hold of your time each day.

I.E – a charity event.

Many charities have events that are linked to their fundraising.  So today, why not search online and sign up to raise some money for a charity that’s close to your heart?  Why not let 2024 be the year that you run your first 5k or 10k.  Or 2024 be the year that you cycle from Manchester to Blackpool or participate in any number of the other events that are out there in your local community.

I have seen first-hand the desire, drive, determination, commitment, and effort displayed by the participants each year in my annual charity event ‘Charity Boxing Nights’.  The participants have jobs, often have families, are busy and like many of us they don’t have much spare time.  I am sure there are also days when they are tired, don’t feel like it or are lacking in motivation.

But they have made a commitment.

Firstly, to themselves, as this commitment requires them getting super fit to compete and give themselves every chance of success.  The biproduct of their commitment is increased training and exercise sessions which will get them much closer to their overall goals.

But their commitment is to something much bigger and far greater than they are (in their mindset).

Their commitment is to the cause.

The charity they are competing for and raising money for.

And that overrides pretty much anything. Busy, tired, feeling achy or just don’t feel like it – it doesn’t matter as the cause is more important.

So much so that they don’t need to be motivated.

Instead, they are completely focused on what it is they must do, and they get it done.

I’d highly recommend you read the book ’Start With Why’ by Simon Sinek.  It’s an epic read and whilst some might say is for business goals, it can be adapted to any goals and targets in life (some good videos and talks are available online also).

To quote the book, our annual event gives our participants “their why”.

Because when they find their why, have connected with it, and then committed to it they can override fatigue or lack of motivation, and instead become relentless with their training and exercise.

The charity wins as you can raise some money (any amount is amazing no matter how big or small), and you will equally benefit by becoming the fittest, fastest, and strongest version of you.

I would encourage every one of you to explore having a higher purpose or your ‘why’ with your training and exercise in the new year. To consider participating in something that has deeper meaning to you.

When you do this, you can make a huge difference to others, as well as yourself.

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Sitting Is The New Smoking

Putting aside that perhaps I was a bit of a dinosaur, research has shown that working from home offers several health benefits, which can positively impact both physical and mental well-being.

These include: –

The potential for better nutrition intake

Improved sleep

Increased physical activity (hmmm I’m not so sure about this)

A comfortable work environment

Reduced stress due to less commute time

Better work-life balance

Increased productivity

More family time

Ability to take breaks as needed

Decreased social anxiety

As is often the case however, there is also counter research that has stated that whilst working from home does offer many benefits, it can also present several challenges and potential negative effects on both physical and mental health.

Some of these include:

An increased sedentary lifestyle (let’s talk a little more about this)

Poor ergonomics (and this!)

Increased screen time leading to digital eye strain/computer vision syndrome, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes

Isolation and loneliness

Stress and burnout

Presenteeism

Distractions and lack of focus

Reduced social interaction

Communication challenges

Technology issues

Lack of access to resources

Potential for decreased professional development

I must state that the purpose of this article is not to sway opinion on whether I believe that working from home is a good or bad thing or should or shouldn’t happen. I am also as always certainly not here to judge.

What I do personally believe (whether this is caused by increased working from home or not) is that quite simply we are moving less than we ever have, and spending more time sat on our lovely backsides than we also ever have.  Both our movement volume and movement quality are at an all-time low. When given the choice whether to jump in a lift or on an escalator or take the stairs, data from the USA states that only 2% of people will take the stairs (Easter., 2021).  This is backed by further research showing that we exercise 14 x less than our ancestors – who moved fast for 2 hours daily (O’Keefe et al., 2010).  For context, we’re living in a world where some people don’t even go to collect their take aways anymore!!  It’s a slippery slope, it’s only getting worse, and this is causing major problems to both our physical and mental health.  So much so, that statistically, the links to long-term sitting down and poor health issues show that:

SITTING IS THE NEW SMOKING.

Yes, you read that right.

And that is frightening.

Long-term sitting down is now linked to more chronic illness and ill health such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes etc than smoking is.

• People who spend more than 6 hours per day sitting with low levels of physical activity have a 71% increase in mortality rate.

• Sitting for more than 7 hours daily increases the risk of depression by 47% compared to those who only sit for 4 hours a day or less.

(Chau et al., 2013)

• A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 12 times.

(Yan et al., 2020)

And I could carry on.

Whether you like it or not, or even realise it or not, long-term sitting down is destroying your health, is ruining your body, and the decline is frightening and dramatic especially as each year passes by. 

With reduced physical mobility you get higher rates of disease, as well as increases in disability, hospitalization, and an early visit to your maker – the data shows that society is literally sitting itself to death!!!

From a musculoskeletal perspective, the damage is extremely evident.  Recent studies show that we have less mobility and range of motion in our joints than we ever have, and this is playing havoc and causing increased pain in our back, hips, shoulders and knee joints.  It’s causing increased sarcopenia (muscle and strength loss), and again it only gets worse with age. 

Poor levels of mobility are also directly linked to low levels of performance.  With poor mobility, you will perform worse in the gym, in your sports, and in the workplace.  Your body will overwork potentially leading to fatigue and or injury.  Basically put, in every area, you will have a poorer quality of life.

Now I’m sorry to be all doom and gloom.

But we must accept that this part of our lifestyle is doing us no favours at all.  The good news, however, is that you can do something about it, and you must start getting yourself moving more today to undo this. 

Because, as the saying goes: –

Movement is medicine.

I can testify to this as I have personal experience of the damage that too much sitting and a lack of the correct and specific movements each day can cause. This is not because of the thousands of clients I have worked with, from beginner right through to elite athlete.  This is a journey I am all too familiar with.  You see, due to Covid-19 a lot more of my work and daily life had transferred to Zoom and being sat on my laptop.  Meetings and seminars that were in person went virtual, face to face coaching sessions where I would often take clients walking and in the outdoors were exchanged for the screen, and I spent far more time sitting down than I ever had.  After ignoring some warning signs, I developed a pretty serious injury in my lower back and was diagnosed that I had ‘slipped a disc’.

I don’t mind telling you, it was absolute agony.

Basic functions such as walking a few steps, tying my shoelaces, picking my bag up off the floor and even going to the toilet (!!!) were almost impossible.  They were extremely painful if nothing else.  Whilst of course these things can occasionally happen, I’d love to tell you that my injury and subsequent severe pain couldn’t have been avoided, but it’s likely that it could.  You see I was aware that my posture and overall mobility had been poor for a number of years, and I was also aware that this was causing me discomfort at times in my life.  But it ‘wasn’t too bad’, so if I’m honest, I ignored it. 

Slowly and steadily, I had developed what is known as ‘Lower Crossed Syndrome’.   This presents as having an anterior (forward) pelvic tilt, tightness in the hip flexors, and weakness in the gluteal muscles (Sahu & Phansopkar., 2021). I suppose you could say that my arch in my back was noticeable, and my posture looked a little bit like a duck!!  And you guessed it, this condition is caused by inactivity, too much sitting down, and is linked and known to cause pain in a variety of areas, especially chronic and intense pain in the lower back!  Sadly, the statistics show that Lower Crossed Syndrome, the symptoms of this, the pain especially in the lower back, and the posture this makes your body look like (duck posture) may be familiar to some of you?

So, what must you do about it??

A quick Google search about tips to counterbalance increased inactivity and too much sitting down will tell you to:

• Stay active
• Maintain a routine
• Eat healthy
• Get your 10,000 steps in each day etc.

And all of that is absolutely correct.  But you must go further and focus on specific work to improve your mobility, posture, and undo the effects of inactivity and long-term sitting. This work can be a little painful,** it can most certainly be boring, but you must make it a priority and do it every single day.  It’s also likely that you will do this work for the rest of your life.

You should work on all joints and muscles within your body, however a saying I came across many years ago is that “the hips are the bully of the body” and this is true with your mobility.  You must target the hips, in particularly the psoas major (known as hip flexors) and work on them directly.  When tightened the psoas muscles begin to “bully” other areas of the body.  The pelvis tilts forwards, your core strength is reduced, your glute strength is reduced, the discs in the lower back are compressed amongst other things, and the journey towards being in pain begins.

Stretching alone will not do the trick to fix you.  You must attend and perform Pilates based exercises, and include strengthening exercises such as glute bridges, with rear elevated split squats being the leading exercise to reverse these negative effects.  Remember, you should perform these under supervision if you have not done them previously.

The final challenge is your focusing on your mindset.  Being in pain is debilitating and can affect your mood, and you must be aware of this.  Again, remember that movement is medicine.  Make a commitment to start and end your day with some mobility and strength-based work, and you will soon start to feel much better both physically and mentally.  I’ve already mentioned that the corrective movements and exercises can be boring and will often provide very minimal instant reward or muscular feedback (they often hurt, and you don’t always get that ‘pump’ or training high).  Being aware of this will help.  Instead of seeking the short-term pleasure ‘feeling’ associated with training, commit to a personal code of completing your mobility and postural based exercises every day whether you feel like it or not.  Focus on the long-term gains, instead of the short-term quick fixes and commit to intentional and correctional movements every day.

Get out of the chair, and off the sofa. Mobilise the tight areas in your body and strengthen the weaker areas.  Every day, prioritise the micro tasks that are so effective such as sitting on the floor, on an exercise ball, on in a deep squat position as often as you can. 

Be mindful of the stories you tell yourself, about yourself. You are not lacking in mobility or strength because of age, or because you are ‘getting older’.  It is not a done deal, and it is not too late.  Your body is tight, weak and in pain because you are not doing enough of what your body is designed to do, and that is purposeful and intentional movement each and every day.

It’s time to take responsibility for this and it’s time to change. 

So that with the gift of age, you will not just ‘cope’ or survive, but instead, physically and mentally, you will thrive.

Best wishes.

Ric

 *Always consult a qualified physician or doctor before participating in any form of physical activity.

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10 ALTERNATIVE WAYS YOU CAN LEVEL UP YOUR PERFORMANCE

What are the ‘other things’ should we be working on to be the best version of ourselves?

Here are ten things you can implement into your life, that I believe if you follow, will level up all areas of your performance.

Take responsibility

No fitness training, mindset or personal development programme can provide you with a magic solution to change your life. You must take responsibility for it, and that starts with accepting where you are at. Then you need to put some work in, a lot of hard work in fact. Nothing in life comes easy. You are required to take responsibility for your progress or your lack of.

I call this ‘passing your mirror test’.

Be aware of your environment

There is a famous belief that you become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with and I believe this is most definitely true.

When embarking on a new challenge or trying to perform tasks consistently and with utmost dedication, having positive support systems in place can be a significant aspect of what you’re trying to achieve. Having people around you who will support you through your challenges can only increase your chances of success.

On the other end of the scale, having people around you who try to sabotage your efforts (without them always realising they are) can be a real test of your progress.

It’s simple – hang around with people who will support you on your journey.

Be Patient

Too many people try to run before they can walk. Take care of your foundations as a priority. This can take a little time, but once this is achieved, everything else will follow and fall into place much quicker and easier. This will give you the platform to achieve the performance goals you have set, and then to go on to surpass them.

Do not cut corners or take shortcuts, because long-term success and increased overall performance simply don’t work this way. You must start right at the beginning and be patient. If you don’t build your house on strong foundations then you will pay the price, and it is usually a high price to pay.

Develop self-mastery

You must become aware of, and gain control of your emotions.

This is extremely important as our emotions can influence our thoughts and our thoughts can influence our behaviours.

How you behave and the actions you take each day will directly affect the results you achieve. These thoughts can either be your best friend, or your greatest enemy – the choice of which is yours.

Like many things, the first step in achieving mastery is developing awareness. Then it’s the same principle, you must do the reps and practice.

“If you don’t learn how to control your thoughts, you will never control your behaviour” – Joyce Meyer

Build a foundation of health

You must develop strong foundations by making your health a priority.

You must provide your body with the correct amount of nutrition, hydration, and sleep to be able to thrive. This means making the correct food choices, drinking lots of water, and ensuring you gain adequate sleep and rest to fuel both your body and mind.

Understanding all of this is very important for you as the most powerful Formula One car, fighter jet or space rocket cannot perform without the correct fuel, care and maintenance, and your body and mind are exactly the same.

Whilst things such as deprivation-based ‘diets’ are a waste of time, eating healthily, staying hydrated, sleeping well, and taking good care of yourself are not.

Take care of yourself first and foremost and everything else will follow.

Be a student of your game

You do not have to become a graduate in sports science or a nutrition expert anytime soon, but you must understand the fundamental basics required to improve your performance.

● Why are you thinking the thoughts that are running through your mind?
● What muscles you are working during your exercise?
● What are the deeper effects that unhealthy lifestyle habits and choices are having on my body and mind?

This knowledge will also help you create and stick to ongoing daily habits – the true key to success in anything.

Build a body for purpose

We all want a body that looks good – but this is useless if it does not perform correctly.

You must train like your body is your biggest and best asset.

Because it is.

Train like your life depends on it.

Because one day it might.

Our bodies are designed to move – every day.

We are designed to run (really fast), jump, push, pull and bend, and the main fundamental reason for this is so that we could hunt our food and therefore survive. We are not designed to be sat in a chair, playing a games console, typing on a computer, driving a car, or with a mobile phone stuck between our ear and shoulder for hours on end.

All these mundane (and mostly seated) activities are physically and mentally breaking us down. We are physically and mentally unfit, disconnected, lower in confidence, increasingly anxious and less sociable. This is not the way it is supposed to be, and it must change.

The old saying goes that ‘the definition of insanity is to do the same things and expect a different result’.

Therefore, you have to get your body to do what it was designed to do.

You must go back to basics and move your body in an athletic manner.

Do this every day – it’s what I call ‘a daily sweat’.

Develop resilience to win

Life is tough.

Therefore, you must develop the mental and physical strength to cope and push forward.

Remember that there is no growth in comfort.

Sticking within your comfort zone is only going to lead you to a life of mediocrity. You know the things you’re scared of? Write them down, and go do them one by one. That conversation you are putting off having, face it up.

Be around people who challenge you and will tell you the truth. As the old saying goes ‘the truth hurts’, but some pain and discomfort is good for you.

Your progress in your health and fitness, in business, or in any area of your life is found by doing the things you really don’t want to do.

Have a ‘Deadline Mindset’ ©

Everybody knows that person or multiple persons who talk a good game. Or the person who is brilliant at making plans but never actually follows through with them.

With that in mind remember that this article is absolutely useless unless you get up off you’re a*** and take action.

Action is better than thoughts, vibrations, hopes and dreams, every day of the week. So instead of talking about it, get it done, every single day.

Remember – you are only as good as the results that you post on the board.

Share

Share your wins with others.

Share your learnings with others.

Share friendship and positivity.

You just never know the positive effect you have on people.

Share because it’s about being a good person and the right thing to do.

And also, because the universe, as well as the people in your life, will thank you for it.

Share these previous key points with the people who matter most in your life. This will reinforce them in your mind and assist your progress and just might give somebody the boost that they need.

I’m certain they will be grateful, and you can help each other along your respective performance journeys.

So, there you have it.

Focusing on these 10 areas will allow you to achieve performance levels and success within your life that you previously may have thought was not possible. Most importantly you will finally fulfil your potential and explode the results that you can achieve.

So, stop reading, and get on with it.

Ric

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