Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail for New Year's Resolutions

by Alisha Smith | Tuesday, January 03, 2012

As the little hand moved nearer the '12' on clock faces around the world this past New Year's Eve, people everywhere could be heard laying out their resolutions for 2012 with vigour.

And while pursuit of self-betterment is always something I support and encourage, I can't help but wonder who will be among the 78% of people who won't achieve their newly set goals?

2009 saw the release of study results from the University of Hertfordshire that explained that willpower and role models simply won't cut it when it comes to meeting the resolutions that so many of us set. So, if sticking a picture of a bikini-clad Cameron Diaz to the biscuit tin won't cut the resolution mustard, then what will?

According to Richard Wiseman, the psychologist who led the study, it all comes down to an action plan! Those 'resolvers' who shared their goals with family and friends, kept a diary and broke the goal down into bite-sized pieces were generally among the 22% who managed to achieve what they had set out to do.

To most fitness professionals, this certainly isn't a groundbreaking realisation as we've long been proponents of a good SMART goal, but it's useful info to share with our clients, members and participants as they flock to the gyms in their shiny new training attire.

What health and fitness resolutions do your members/clients have for the New Year and how will you help them to be one of the 22% who will achieve them?

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